Superintendent Xavier Botana to Tender Resignation to School Board at 4:00 pm Today

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Portland Public School Superintendent Xavier Botana, at Press Conference at City Hall Earlier This Year.

Portland Public Schools Superintendent Xavier Botana plans to offer his resignation to the Portland Board of Public Education at an executive session the Board has scheduled for 4:00 pm today, Friday, December 16th.  The Board then is expected to take a public vote to accept the resignation, which will be effective January 31, 2023 or at the starting of an interim superintendent which ever occurs first according to a press release issued this afternoon.

Botana had announced earlier this fall that he planned to retire in June of 2023 after seven years leading Maine’s largest and most diverse school district.  He cites district pay role issues as the reason he is stepping down now.  Staff turnover, a complex payroll system and an interneet system outage in November that exacerbaed problems are all factors that have caused the district to repeatedly struggle to pay all of its more than 1,500 employees in a complete and timely way this fall.

“As you know, the past six weeks have been extremely difficult for the Portland Public Schools,” said Botana in a resignation letter to the Board.  “While I have worked tirelessly to find solutions and we reached an agreement with the Association regarding next steps to ensure that all staff are paid accurately and on time, I think it is in the district’s best interest that I step aside and allow new leadership to bring closure to these matters.”