Portland Public School Superintendent Xavier Botana, at Press Conference at City Hall This Afternoon in Support of Question $ 5 on the November 8th Ballot.
Vote Yes on Question # 5 to Give the School Board theAutonomy Over its Annual Budget It Deserves!
Suppoters of Question # 5 on the November 8th Ballot Giving the Portland School Board Authority Over its Annual Budget That it Currently Does Not Have.
“I have worked as an educator in four states. Portland is the only place where the decision of the duly elected school board is subject to second-guessing and de-prioritization by folks who are not deeply invested in the work of schools. And, as you know, this is not even the norm in Maine where over 90% of school districts’ budgets are not subject to council review,” said Superintendent of Portland Public Schools Xavier Botana at a press conference this afternoon at city hall launching a campaign to support Question # 5 on the upcoming November 8th ballot. “It is time to make Portland part of that overhwhelming majority of school districts that can focus on schools’ needs in their budget process without being subject to council second-guessing,” said Superintendent Botana.
The Superintendent was referring to a ciitizen’s initiative on the November 8th ballot that permits the school board to create its own annual budget and send it directly to the voters for their approval. If passed by Portland voters next month, that measue would avoid the political influence of the Portland City Council in the budget process. In other words, the school board’s budget would go directly to Portland voters side-stepping the City Council’s political agenda – approval or disapproval.
School board president Emily Figdor said she has been involved in the past eight school board budgets. “You have no idea how hard it is to get our children the resources they need,” she said. Members of the city council have no experience in education, no formal experience in the classroom. Several parents of Portland public schools spoke of their disappointing experiences at city council meetingw where their testimony on the school budget was not welcome.
“The school budget process as it currently exists in Portland is disrespectful of democracy and Portland voters. It is like what we are seeing all around this country. Democracy only matters when it goes your way,” said Superintendent Botana.
For backgkround informatin on Question # 5, please visit posts herein dated September 29, 2022: “Mix of Republicans and Democratics Adopt Scare Tactics on Anti-education Agenda” and September 30, 2022 on the Launch of Today’s Question # 5 on the November ballot.