Informational Summary about FY 2011 School Budget

The Portland Public Schools faces a large cut in state and federal education aid for the 2010-2011 school year.

· The state is expected to reduce Portland’s General Purpose Aid by more than $4 million next year. (The final number won’t be known until the state budget is finalized in the spring.) That cut comes on top of a $2.7 million cut in Portland’s state aid for the current year.

· The Portland Public Schools also is at risk of losing nearly $2 million in federal funding for Medicaid recipients, drug and alcohol education and other federal programs.

· The district anticipates that the loss in state and federal aid for the next school year could exceed $6 million.

The district will be forced to lay off a large number of teachers and other staff members as a result of the loss in state education aid.

· Portland Public Schools managed to reduce spending by $2.7 million in the current year’s budget without layoffs by tapping all other available cost-cutting measures.

· Staff salaries and benefits make up about 80 percent of the school budget, and layoffs will be required to make additional, large cuts.

· Every $1 million loss in state funding equates to a loss of approximately 20 jobs in the Portland Public Schools. A $6 million cut would mean eliminating 120 positions, or more than 11 percent of the district’s staff.

· Every effort will be made to find efficiencies that lessen the need for layoffs.

The Portland Public Schools has taken a number of steps to ensure that all funding is used wisely and efficiently.

· The district commissioned a study by an outside evaluator that shows how special education funding can be reduced by $2.5 million per year by making changes that will improve services to students.

· The district has adopted a multi-year budgeting process to plan ahead for capital, program and operational needs.

· The district has sought ideas from the public about possible ways to save money by posting a suggestion form on the district’s Web site. Hundreds of ideas have been submitted and all of them will be reviewed.

The Portland School Committee is working collaboratively with city officials to address school budget shortfalls. But the city also faces cutbacks in state aid, at the same time that the recession has increased demand for services in Maine’s largest city.

Various proposals have been suggested at the state level to temporarily increase revenues to help cover the shortfall in state funding for school districts and municipalities. The Maine Legislature would need to approve such measures. Portland residents can find the names of their elected representatives and contact information here.

Here is the timetable for the development of Portland’s school budget:

· January and February- Cost center presentations

· March 3- Portland Superintendent James Morse, Sr. presents his budget to the Portland School Committee.

· April 5- School Committee presents its budget to the Portland City Council.

· April 26- City Council holds first reading of the school budget.

· May 3- City Council votes on the school budget.

· May 11- Public referendum is held on the school budget.

Find updated school budget information.