The proposed school budget for the 2024-2025 school year is now in the hands of the City Council, which sets for the bottom line of the school budget. On Monday, April 22, the Council voted to receive the $161.4 million fiscal year 2025 school budget that the Board of Public Education approved on April 9.

The Board's recommended budget now goes to the Council's Finance Committee. That Committee will hold a meeting on Thursday, April 25 at 5 p.m. at City Hall to review the FY25 budget proposal and vote on recommending a school budget to the full Council. The Council is slated to hold a first reading and public hearing on the school budget on Monday, May 6. A second reading, public hearing and a City Council vote on the budget will take place Monday, May 20. After the Council vote, the school budget goes to Portland voters for final approval at the polls on June 11. View budget materials and a calendar HERE.

The Board’s budget builds off a theme of “Centering Students.” It includes strategic funding for increased student mental health, reading support, special education and school climate support at the school level. The FY25 budget also supports increased rigor in the classroom, and maintains funding for athletics, extracurriculars, and class sizes.

It's also mindful of Portland taxpayers in the face of unique fiscal challenges for FY25: the loss of about $9.4 million in federal COVID relief funds and other revenues, relatively flat state funding and increasing expenses. The  district started the budget process with an anticipated $19.4 million shortfall. Without any cuts, that shortfall would have necessitated a 17.41% increase in the school portion of the tax rate. However, due to strategic reductions and restructuring, the Board’s budget calls for an increase of 6.6% ($0.49) in the school tax rate. For the owner of a $375,000 median-priced home in Portland, this would result in an increase in taxes of $183.75 per year or just over $15 per month.

Superintendent Ryan Scallon acknowledged in his April column in The Forecaster that to address the fiscal challenges, the budget entails some really painful trade-offs and reductions that will have an impact. However, he said, “Overall…this budget is a fair proposal that centers students, supports staff, provides additional resources to schools and aligns with our emerging strategic plan.”

The superintendent also said he is proud of the involvement of the PPS community throughout the budget process and he urged everyone to continue that engagement as the Council considers the budget. His column is availabvle online in The Forecaster or on the PPS website HERE.

View a YouTube recording of the Portland City Council receiving the Board's FY25 school budget.