South Portland board delays school reconfiguration after parent and teacher uproar

The South Portland Board of Education on Tuesday said it will pause its timeline for elementary-school reconfiguration and place an action item on the April 29 agenda to halt plans to implement changes for September 2026.

"We will have an action item on the agenda on April 29 to halt the movement towards reconfiguration to move forward for this September, 2026," Chairperson DeAngelis said, announcing the delay and naming board members Smith and Richardson to serve on the reconfiguration committee.

The move follows weeks of public comment and a survey of district educators. Sarah Gay, president of the South Portland Teachers Association, told the board that 85.6 percent of surveyed association members said transparency about cuts has been insufficient and that 77.5 percent did not approve the proposed budget.

Parents and staff at the meeting urged a longer timeline and more community engagement. Sam Merrill, who identified himself as a resident and member of the bicycle-pedestrian committee, warned that multiple school transitions could place an ‘‘unreasonable time burden’’ on families and create accessibility problems for residents who use wheelchairs. "Transitions take people in wheelchairs a lot longer," Merrill said.

Speakers from Kahler and other affected neighborhoods pleaded for specific plans to support students and staff during any transition, emphasizing the emotional and programmatic impacts on a small, high-needs population. "There are 160 kids that are not afforded that" extra time or support, a Kahler parent said, urging careful planning for students who the speaker described as among the district's most vulnerable.

School leaders said the pause is intended to buy time for more public notice and to allow a committee and listening sessions to develop clearer proposals. The board emphasized that the reconfiguration work will continue in a revised form and that the April 29 meeting will include a formal action item.

Next steps: the board will present a written action item and continue listening sessions; a committee cochaired by the two named board representatives will shape the follow-up process.