School Board Member Targeted As Swing Vote Isn't Budging on a November Ballot Measure

With a day left for the Portland Public Schools' board to reconsider their vote on the timing of a $750 million school bond, Lincoln students High School students walked out of school this morning to protest the board's decision to wait until May to send the ballot measure to voters.

The students disrupted a Portland City Council meeting and marched across the Willamette River to Benson High School, demanding that the board put the construction bond on this November's ballot.

Meanwhile, parent activists continue to pressure the board to reconsider its 4-3 vote last night to stick to a May timeline—which parents warn would doom the measure.

There's just one problem: The board member activists are targeting as a swing vote says he isn't changing his mind.

Board member Steve Buel says he hasn't re-considered his decision to delay the vote till May.

Buel says he still wants answers on what the money would be spent on—and whether the ballot measure would include enough funds dedicated to covering the district's health and safety hazards.

"I didn't feel we should go out," says Buel. "I didn't feel it was responsible as an elected official to go out asking for hundreds of millions of dollars when we don't know where that money is going to be spent."

Board co-chair Amy Kohnstamm, who voted to delay the vote and was on the Lincoln school foundation before being elected to the board, told WW that facing down her school community was difficult.

"I would not do anything that was contributing to the delay of this work," she says.

A key argument for November bond is that the presidential-year turnout means the electorate is younger—and more likely to support a bond. But Kohnstamm noted in an email to students on Wednesday that across the states school districts, including Beaverton $680 million bond measure two years ago, have been successful with May vote.

"Our own campaign polling is positive for May," she says.

Though she has declined to share the private polling conducted by the campaign, Kohnstamm says the polls show 55 percent support for the bond in May. That's higher than what activists had reported but still lower than the 60 percent generally considered the bar for a viable campaign.

Willamette Week