I am the parent of a Portland Public Schools third-grader. Last year, our school community gave testimony advocating for the proposed school budget at the City Council meeting where they made the final vote.
After we spoke, we were told we were at the wrong meeting and shouldn’t be talking about the school budget at a City Council meeting. We left confused, but now I understand that it was not our mistake.
The meeting where the final vote for the school budget approval was happening was absolutely the place we needed to be to speak up about the needs of our school, but if the City Council does not want to hear our concerns, then the City Council should not be the body determining whether or not our funding is approved.
Therefore, I am voting “yes” on Question 5 to eliminate the need for City Council approval of the school budget.
Sharon McGauley
Portland
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