South Portland schools are in fiscal crisis and leaders have made a bad situation worse. A combination of external but foreseeable factors and poor decisions has South Portland facing an $8.4 million cut to keep the property tax increase to 6%.

Through a haphazard, seat-of-the-pants process, we have a painful plan that closes an elementary school and cuts more than 70 positions, mostly teachers and support staff. At a March 30 “budget” meeting, the board didn’t approve a budget, but it did approve an elementary grade band reconfiguration — nothing to do with budget — that ends community schools and takes effect this coming school year, with no plans in place.

Confused? So was everyone else. With no process to engage families, community or staff ahead of this decision, and no details about how this will work, everyone was left wondering. Families with multiple kids were left with no idea of how they might be split up across the district or how it could affect their lives.

Despite broad opposition from families on the timeline, and the fact that research evidence on grade-band models is uncompelling, ideological agendas from administrators and certain board members won the day.

The very people who created this fiscal mess are making a new mess before we’ve solved the first one. Time for new leadership in the district and on the school board.

Nate Spence
South Portland