Portland school board reverses controversial agreement to fund school police

School resource officer

A school resource officer at Johnson High in Huntsville, Alabama watches in the hallways as students change classes. Here in Portland, school resource officers have become a point of debate

The Portland school board is headed back to the drawing board in its negotiations with city police to deploy nine full-time officers at its high schools.

Amid intense backlash from students and community members, the board voted Tuesday to pull back a contract it approved on Dec. 11 under pressure from city officials. Back then, the district pledged $1.2 million per year to pay for city police officers to patrol its nine public high schools.

Board members now say the financial liability should rest with the city, not the school district. And before their vote to reverse course Tuesday, some wondered whether the district has been too quick to give concessions when it’s asked to pick up a bill.

“When the city pulled out of supporting us with Tri-Met passes, we grumbled. When this proposal came down the pipeline we grumbled, but not much else,” board member Scott Bailey said.

Board member Julia Brim-Edwards replied: “We have a chance to do more than just grumble.”

Last week, board members said they felt pressured by a false Dec. 31 deadline the city imposed for the district to approve the contract. Meanwhile, the neighboring Parkrose and David Douglas districts are just in the beginning stages of talks with the city police bureau on funding officers in their schools.

Brim-Edwards, who proposed Tuesday’s reversal of approval for the contract, said the board believed failing to OK it in December would result in the district losing its existing police officers, who currently work at Portland schools three-quarters time.

She wondered aloud why the city asked the district to pay for officers in schools now after providing the service for free for nearly two decades.

“We’re not a profit-making enterprise. Our enterprise mission is to educate students, and we should devote every last dollar to that,” Brim-Edwards said.

She also said students weren’t given enough opportunities to chime in on the agreement. District leaders agreed.

A team led by Jonathan Garcia, senior director for strategic partnerships, proposed a series of listening sessions that include stops at every high school and the appointment of student representatives to gather feedback from their peers. That group would then make recommendations to the board on an amended contract.

The board invited students from each high school to testify at Tuesday’s meeting. Although a few spoke to the costs, most voiced concern over whether police, often referred to as school resource officers, or SROs, belong in their hallways at all.

“Students need support, not armed police patrolling the school like a war zone,” Roosevelt senior Breely Buttitta said.

“I don’t think SROs are performing any duties in high schools,” Jefferson senior Jamari Signor said.

Four students stood along the walls holding signs reading, “Fund prevention! Not just detention!” and “Restore justice.” Several in attendance snapped their fingers and clapped at their peers’ testimony urging the school board to dismiss student resource officers.

But at least two students who took the microphone during the public comment period said they want police in Portland’s public schools.

“I think I may have a lot of disagreements with a lot of students. Just because some people have the louder voices doesn’t mean they’re the only ones with opinions,” Grant High School student Ben Sneads said.

He also criticized the board for holding a vote to cancel the resolution it passed more than a month ago.

“I would hope that public officials would be stronger in their convictions in what needs to happen,” he said.

The board unanimously approved the resolution to nix December’s agreement. But the lone voice from the dais that lined up with the majority opinion among students was its sole member of color.

“I think that we can support students in other ways and keep them safe partnering with other school districts but not with armed officers,” said Julie Esparza Brown, who is Latina.

If the coming weeks result in a resolution that would place police in Portland schools?

“It’s still going to be a no vote for me,” she said.



--Eder Campuzano | 503-221-4344

Do you have a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Eder at ecampuzano@oregonian.com or message either of the social accounts above.

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.