Measure 26-122
BALLOT TITLE
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS LEVY FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS
QUESTION: Shall schools protect class size, teaching positions; levy $1.99 per $1,000 assessed value for five years beginning 2011; require oversight?
This measure may cause property taxes to increase by more than three percent.
SUMMARY : Portland Public Schools' voter-approved local option levy currently provides funding for retaining teachers and providing instructional programs that students need for a well-rounded education. As PPS responds to substantial cuts in state funding to local schools, continuing a local option will:
- Fund 600 teaching positions (some in every school), including 200 that would be lost in the coming school year due to state budget cuts without levy funds;
- Prevent substantial increases in class size so students receive more individual attention from teachers;
- Continue educational programs necessary for a well-rounded education.
Levy cost is $1.99 per $1,000 assessed property value of which $1.25 per $1,000 assessed property value is currently being paid. Typical home currently pays $15.36 per month which would be replaced by payment of $24.45 a month for five years.
No levy funds go to administration. Independent citizen oversight will review expenditures so funds are used as approved by voters.
The levy will produce an estimated $57 million in 2011-12; $58 million in 2012-13; $62 million in 2013-14; $65 million in 2014-15; and $66 million in 2015-16.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Portland Public Schools has growing enrollment, currently serving almost 47,000 students in 85 schools and other programs throughout the neighborhoods of Portland. PPS has set ambitious targets for student success, and academic achievement has increased on six of the seven critical Milestone measures in the last year.
However, Portland Public Schools counts on the State School Fund for three-quarters of its budget that pays for general school operations and teachers, and that level has dropped in recent years due to state budget shortfalls.
As a result, PPS has taken action to reduce costs and to ensure a full school year and strong academic programs for students, including the following over the last ten years;
- Closed schools and sold or leased unoccupied buildings and land;
- Negotiated agreements with employees to forgo cost-of-living increases or take pay freezes or furloughs during years of substantial budget cuts;
- Managed health coverage costs through plan design and contributions by all employees to their health premiums;
- Employees pay 6 percent of their salary toward their public retirement plans;
- Streamlined operations such as student transportation and reduced utility costs where possible through energy and water-saving retrofits; and
- Hired an independent auditor working for the Board of Education to complete several audits each year of school programs and services, which has identified efficiencies and further cost savings.
Currently PPS faces further reductions in the state budget projected to cut the equivalent of hundreds of teaching positions over the next two years.
To effectively serve all students in the face of continued state revenue cuts, the Portland Public School District has referred a new five-year local option levy to the voters that will fund teaching positions that would otherwise have been lost due to state budget cuts.
The local option levy will fund:
- At least 600 teaching positions (roughly 20 percent of school staff working with students every day), of which 200 would be lost without passage of this local option.
- This includes teachers in every school, and will protect class sizes that permit more individual attention for students;
- Funds help to maintain a well-rounded core program, with enrichment for elementary and middle grades and electives in varied interest areas and disciplines for high school students.
- Fiscal Accountability and Taxpayer Oversight:
This local option will mandate independent citizen oversight to ensure that tax dollars are used only for purposes approved by local voters as listed above.
No funds from this local option levy will be used for district administration.
This local option levy will replace the levy passed by voters in 2006, and the Portland Public Schools Board of Education will not collect the final year of the previous levy.
Submitted by: Carole Smith
Superintendent
Portland Public Schools, (Portland School District District 1J)
No arguments AGAINST this measure were filed.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Portland Council PTA says Vote Yes for our Schools!
Parent Teachers Associations (PTAs) are one of the reasons our schools succeed. They represent all the elements of good schools: parent volunteers, dedicated teachers and a joint commitment to an education that builds successful futures, good citizens and a strong community.
But the greatest PTA in the world cannot replace the basics of a good education.
- To learn, kids need enough teachers in the classroom and a safe building.
- They need classes of reasonable size so the teacher can spend time with them.
- They need basic and enrichment educational programs to challenge them, and give them the tools the need for their future.
Those basics for our local schools are what is at stake this election. That's why we urge you Vote YES on Measure 26-122.
In the face of state funding cuts, this Local Option Levy is our only way as a community to raise money locally for local schools. Every penny stays here: none goes to Salem. And the money it generates for schools goes directly to the kids.
The Local Option Levy for Portland Public Schools will:
- Protect 600 teaching positions (some in every school), including 200 that would be lost due to state budget cuts without levy funds.
- Prevent increases in class size so students receive more individual attention from teachers.
In a sense, we are all the PTA for our community's schools. And we all have an interest in their success, whether or not we have children or grandchildren in them right now. Strong schools mean stronger neighborhoods. They protect property values in a shaky housing market. They mean a stronger future for all of us.
Portland Council PTA Enthusiastically Endorses Measure 26-122.
So please join all the local PTA's of the Portland Council PTA by Voting YES on Measure 26-122!
(This information furnished by Beryl Morrison, Portland Council PTA)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A message from our local classroom teachers
Measure 26-122 Will Protect
Two Vital Elements of a Good Education:
Reasonable Class Sizes
Access to a Strong Core Curriculum
As teachers, we spend every day in the classroom with one goal – to give young people the education they need to become successful adults and productive citizens. There are many elements in a good education, but two of them are absolutely indispensable: reasonable class sizes and a strong core curriculum.
That is why Measure 26-122 is so important.
CLASS SIZES AND INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
A basic quality education requires that teachers spend individual time with the students in the classroom. That is true for children at every part of the educational spectrum, whether they need some extra help because they are struggling with a subject or when they want to forge ahead towards further challenge. It's impossible; however, when class sizes become so large that teaching becomes more of an exercise in traffic control than giving children the attention they need to learn. Measure 26-122 will prevent crippling increases in class size.
A VIGOROUS CORE CURRICULUM
Students only get one chance at a strong primary and secondary education, meaning they need access to a variety of courses that will serve them in college and the workplace. Without adequate funding, courses are cancelled or eliminated, and students can't take them. Measure 26-122 provides funds for enough teaching positions to allow basic and advanced courses to remain accessible to our students across the district.
Strong schools support students, our neighborhoods, and our economy.
Measure 26-122 will protect the basics of a sound education.
PLEASE VOTE YES ON MEASURE 26-122
Jamie Zartler, Grant High School
Jeff Ramsey, Whitman Elementary
Scott Rozell, Llewellyn Elementary
Renay Schaeffer, Maplewood Elementary
Linea King, César Chávez Elementary
(This information furnished by Brian Rae, Portlanders for Schools)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
The Portland Police Association Supports Measure 26-122
Good Schools Mean a Safer City
As the association representing Portland's police officers, it may be surprising that we are actively supporting a measure for keeping teachers in the classroom.
It shouldn't be.
Our job is to keep Portland's citizens and neighborhoods safe. On a day-to-day basis, that means responding to crime and other threats to the well-being of our city. But we know that the best response to crime is to stop it from happening in the first place.
A strong and functional public school system is one of our community's most important crime prevention measures. The research is crystal clear: young people who are engaged and succeeding in schools are far less likely to get into trouble. And the first key to keeping kids engaged is having enough teachers to keep class sizes reasonable and provide a well-rounded curriculum.
Measure 26-122 will do just that by preventing the layoff of 200 teachers due to state budget cuts. That is why the Portland Police Association is asking you to join us in supporting the Portland Public School Local Option Levy. Saying Yes to our schools is also saying yes to a safe and livable community.
Darryl Turner
President, Portland Police Association
(This information furnished by Daryl Turner, Portland Police Association)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
A message from our local classroom teachers
Measure 26-122 Will Protect
Two Vital Elements of a Good Education:
Reasonable Class Sizes and
Access to a Strong Core Curriculum
As teachers, we spend every day in the classroom with one goal – to give young people the education they need to become successful adults and productive citizens. There are many elements in a good education, but two of them are absolutely indispensable: reasonable class sizes and a strong core curriculum.
That is why Measure 26-122 is so important.
CLASS SIZES AND INDIVIDUAL ATTENTION
A basic for a quality education requires that teachers spend individual time with the students in the classroom. That is true for children at every part of the educational spectrum, whether they need some extra help because they are struggling or they want to forge ahead towards further challenge. However, when class sizes become so large that teaching becomes an exercise in traffic control, it is impossible to give children the attention they need to learn. Measure 26-122 will prevent crippling increases in class size.
A VIGOROUS CORE CURRICULUM
Students only get one chance at a strong primary and secondary education, meaning they need access to a variety of courses that will serve them in college and the workplace. Without adequate funding courses that our students need are cancelled or eliminated. Measure 26-122 provides funds for enough teaching positions to allow basic and advanced courses to remain accessible to our students across the district.
Strong schools support students, our neighborhoods, and our economy.
By protecting the basics of a sound education, so will Measure 26-122.
PLEASE VOTE YES ON MEASURE 26-122
Vangie Warren Shaw, Sabin Elementary
David Dugo MS, Grant High School
Jan Peterson, Madison High School Teacher
Pam Quale, Franklin High School
(This information furnished by Mike Webb, Portlanders for Schools)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
WHAT DO OUR CLASSROOMS NEED?
ASK US: WE WERE IN THEM EVERY DAY!
We're recent graduates from Portland Public Schools. We worked hard to learn, and we had great teachers helping us. Whatever success we have had – and will have – is directly tied to the community's commitment to providing us with those teachers.
While we have graduated, we am very worried about the students who are following us. They need great teachers and teaching materials too. They need the Local Option Levy you are about to vote on.
Passing the Local Option would Protect 600 Teaching Positions
There were lots of kids in our classes, but we were still able to get our teachers' attention when we needed it. Without the PPS local option funding we'll lose nearly 600 of our teachers, which will stretch class sizes past the breaking point. That would be especially devastating to those students who need a little extra help to succeed.
The Local Option passing will also provide additional teaching materials. Many of the books and materials are old and out of date. We have science textbooks missing elements from the periodic table. And there aren't enough books to go around: imagine having to do homework without a book to take home?
Losing that many teachers would also mean losing programs. Many kids want to o to good colleges, and without this Local Option, our schools will be missing classes and programs that colleges look for.
Our schools and neighborhoods cannot lose more teachers.
2-3 students in every Elementary School and 5-10 in each High School would be cut if this Local Option does not pass.
We know we're responsible for working hard in school, and do. But Portland schools need enough teachers and classes for students to succeed.
Please vote Yes on Measure 26-122.
Brendan Dineen, Grant High School 2008
Colwyn Fritze-Moor, Grant High School 2010
(This information furnished by Brendan Dineen)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Fiscal Accountability and Portland's Public Schools:
I spend a lot of time reviewing Portland's schools budget, I know what it means when an organization employs sound financial practices. Having watched Portland Public Schools over the past number of years, my opinion is that they have worked hard to cut expenses, carry out effective financial oversight, and to target dollars into the classroom.
Specifically, PPS has displayed strong financial stewardship:
- Hired an independent performance auditor who reports directly to the board and the public;
- Conducted regular financial audits, carrying out all recommendations made for improvement;
- Balanced the budget every year;
- Established and protected a 6% reserve account, which has improved the bond rating and lowered interest costs;
- Reduced central administration to 4% of budget (compared with the national average for urban school districts of 8%);
- Closed 12 schools in the last 10 years;
- Leased out property not currently used as public schools;
- Had all employees pay a share of their health care costs;
- Had employees pay 6% of their own salaries towards retirement;
- Streamlined bus routes and converted fuel to save money;
- Brought special education services in-house so they can be provided more efficiently;
- Saved an estimated $1 million yearly in utility bills through energy and water conservation.
In addition, the school bond measure is accountable to the public:
- Independent oversight of construction and financial professionals will ensure bond projects are carried out on time and at budget;
- Regular audits and reports will be made to the public;
- Educators and neighborhoods will participate in the planning and implementation of the bond measure.
Times like these demand fiscal responsibility. I feel confident our local schools meet the test. Measure 26-122 will meet urgent needs in our schools and will do it with accountability we can depend on.
Tom Fuller
Former Banker
Portland School Budget Expert
(This information furnished by Tom Fuller)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
Two Measures – One Need:
Schools that Work for Our Community
With this ballot, you hold the future of Portland's Public Schools in your hands. While there may be two measures – a bond and a levy – they really function as one package which asks the basic question: will we as a community provide a safe and sound education for our children?
For our schools to do the job we all need them to do, they must provide the basics:
- Safe Buildings and classrooms.
- Up-to-date learning environments that provide the technology and facilities required for a modern education.
- Enough teachers to provide the instruction, programs and individual attention to inspire those children who are doing well, lift up those who are struggling and keep all students moving forward to a successful future.
You cannot have one without the others and expect a functional school system. That is exactly what is at stake with Measures 26-121 & 26-122. Taken together they will:
- Make long overdue repairs to PPS's crumbling buildings, including many that are critical to the safety and health of those who step inside.
- Modernize woefully out-of-date classrooms, facilities and technology that currently put students at a severe competitive disadvantage.
- Prevent the layoff of hundreds of teachers, loss of academic programs and increased class sizes.
There are many issues that impact our schools at the national, state and local levels. But the bottom line is that all those issues pale before the basics: Kids need a safe school, a good learning environment and teachers. Right now each of those is at risk.
We need both Measures 26-121 and 26-122 to protect them.
(This information furnished by Tess Fields, Portlanders for Schools)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument. The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.
ARGUMENT IN FAVOR
LEAVE NO TEACHER BEHIND FOR FIVE MORE YEARS
For only about 1/3 of billion dollars, this eliminates the next and final payment from the Levy voters approved for 2006, what ever that was. It guarantees another four years of ‘progress' since 2006 using up that school levy.
You know things might get worse for the last year of the “2006 Five Year Levy”, so we better approve this now to be safe that nothing goes wrong in the forthcoming final year.
Don't think about the poor schooling which is about the worst in the nation at about 47th worst; think about the poor teachers. They have to wait until they are at least over 55 years old just to get full retirement benefits. Also consider that their retirement pension investments are only guaranteed at something like 8% growth per year. That's at best only about three times our inflation rate. Just because the majority of our pension investment tanked does not mean we could let that happen to teachers.
Worse yet they have to teach about two days a week for only something like $50,000 per year. Even with about the best benefits in existence that's not enough. Nor is it enough if they have such great job security with tenure. Consider maybe up to 7 hours of class room time per day for say 111 school days per year. Excluding benefits that is only $64 per hour per classroom hour including hourly recesses.
By the way, be sure to approve another half billion in school building remodeling (26-121) as that may be the best way our students will be better schooled.
Robert Butler, Pres,
BUTLER BROKERS INC
COMMERCIAL RELATORS
814 SW 18th AVE.
PORTLAND, OR. 97205
(This information furnished by Robert Butler, Butler Brokers Inc., Commercial Realtors)
The printing of this argument does not constitute an endorsement by Multnomah County, nor does the county warrant the accuracy or truth of any statements made in the argument.