Portland Public Schools weighs cutting roughly 240 positions as leaders work to close a $40 million gap

Budget plan targets staffing reductions across schools and central office

Portland Public Schools is moving forward with a budget plan for the 2025–26 school year that would reduce staffing by roughly the equivalent of 240 full-time positions as district leaders work to close an estimated $40 million gap between projected revenues and the cost of maintaining current services.

In public budget briefings this spring, the superintendent’s proposal outlined reductions in both school-based staffing and central administration. The district has described a mix of strategies that may include layoffs, leaving vacant roles unfilled, reducing hours, and relying on normal attrition through retirements and resignations.

Where the cuts are proposed

District leaders have identified two major areas of reductions:

• School campuses: a reduction of about 156 school-based positions, with staffing adjustments expected to vary by school level and program area.

• Central office and administration: a reduction of about 85 positions, reflecting a larger share of savings from central administration than earlier drafts.

The district’s earlier planning documents described a multi-part approach that includes cutting central office spending and reducing staff who serve multiple grade levels, such as instructional coaching and intervention support roles. Leaders said more detailed school-by-school impacts would be developed as budget allocations are finalized.

Programs and class structure among options under review

Beyond staffing, the proposal includes operational changes intended to align spending with enrollment and revenue. District leaders have said options under consideration include combining some upper elementary grade levels into blended classrooms and setting minimum class sizes in middle and high schools.

District leaders have characterized the budget challenge as part of a longer-term “fiscal cliff,” with additional gaps forecast beyond the coming school year.

The district has also cited declining enrollment, rising costs, and limited revenue growth as primary drivers of the shortfall.

Timeline for decisions and public input

The proposal follows a staged budget process that includes public comment and multiple board actions. The school board’s schedule has included a dedicated public-comment session in late April, a board vote to approve the budget framework in May, and final adoption in June.

District officials have emphasized that the staffing numbers represent a budgeted reduction in full-time equivalent positions and that the number of individual employees affected can differ depending on vacancies, reassignment opportunities, and retirements.

Wider context: multi-year pressures

District leaders have projected a larger funding gap over the next three years, framing the 2025–26 plan as an initial response rather than a one-time fix. The superintendent’s budget presentations have tied near-term cuts to longer-term planning focused on stabilizing finances while maintaining core instructional priorities.