NAME OF APPLYING AGERE School District #1, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon VII. THE BUDGET.1. If you wish to waive all or part of your non-Federal contribution, please check here and enclose the necessary statistical documents to support your waiver claim. 2A. Propod budget for ALL Follow Through ACTIVITIES to be financed from Federal grant. EOA FUNDS ONLY. 28. ALL ACTIVITIES DOLLARS •Covers all activities relating directly to par ts, e.f., home visite, except where they are paid as school employees. 2C. TOTAL MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT DOLLARS PERCENT OF 866,567 3. IF YOUR TITLE (ESFA) FUNDS ARE LESS THAN 15 PERCENT OF THE EOA FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT, ENTER TOTAL TITLE I ALLOCATION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY NAME OF APPLYING AGENCY School District #1, Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon VII. THE BUDGET. 1. If you wish to waive all or part of your 2A. Proposed budget for ALL Follow Through ACTIVITIES to be financed from Federal grant. EOA FUNDS ONLY. CLASSI FICA EXPENDITURE SALARIES CONTRACTED MATERIALS AND TRAVEL 3. IF YOUR TITLE I (LSEA, FUNDS ARE LESS THAN IS PERCENT OF THE EOA FEDERAL FUNDS FOR THIS PROJECT, ENTER TOTAL TITLE I ALLOCATION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY Chairman PERKINS. Since you are the principal, I would like for you to summarize briefly how you feel title I is working out in your school system in Portland. Tell the committee briefly how title I is functioning and what priority would you place on title I insofar as the Federal Government supporting elementary-secondary education. STATEMENT OF ROBERT HAROLD, PRINCIPAL, PORTLAND, OREG. Mr. HAROLD. Mr. Chairman, we had arranged this a little differently. Mr. Clemans to my left is the intergovernmental relations officer for the Portland public schools and he was going to talk generally to title I as it applies to the total district and I was going to talk about title I as it applies to this particular program in which I am involved. Would you have any objection, sir, if we reversed that process? Chairman PERKINS. Well, I am going to leave and I was trying to get a summary in 2 minutes. Then you can go back into detail. Mr. HAROLD. Fine, I will go ahead. I think title I is very important for this reason, which is that it specifies that title I money be put particularly with the child and I think that is one of the things in this country we have to think more about. We have to reassess our values as far as education is concerned; in other words, consider a little bit more about the amount of money we are spending per child. I think we end up spending this money eventually. We spend it on welfare programs. We spend it on penal programs. We spend it on a number of things eventually, so I think we have to get back to the point as to where we are going to spending the money. I think title I as a national program has accomplished quite a bit. I know it has received quite a few lumps by the public and press and everybody else, but I think when we look at title I accomplishments, we have to look at more than just the grade point achievement of the child. We have to look at the things that have been made possible within the school systems and allowed to change as a result of this title I insertion of money. I think there are other forms of money which can be also included in the funding of schools. Title I is certainly not the only effort but I think it is the one that is directly tied to the child and therefore it is probably the most important in my mind. Chairman PERKINS. You would place top priority on title I before any other programs were funded if the Congress had to make that choice? Mr. HAROLD. I believe so; yes. It allows the schools to fund programs that only title I can fund. That is the important thing. I think we have to allow breathing room, so to speak, or staff development room or curriculum change room and I think title I allows the district to do this. Most districts across the country are strapped financially and change is quite an operation. I think title I money is a direct aid to those children who need the help and who are educationally disadvantaged. I think that is a very important fund. I would rather see it sustained at least as long as possible. I don't think it should be ended and especially it should not be ended abruptly like next fall or whatever. Chairman PERKINS. Continue now. I am sorry I have to leave, but I am sure that Mr. Quie will preside very capably. [Congressman Quie now presiding.] STATEMENT OF CHARLES A. CLEMANS, DIRECTOR, INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, PORTLAND, OREG. Mr. CLEMANS. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee: I am Charles Clemans. With Mr. Harold and myself here, we hope to bring to you some of the perspective of the local school system as it works in concert with the Federal Government in providing for the needs of youngsters. A little bit of background about the Portland Public Schools might be in order. Many of the problems that are encroaching upon urban education nationally are making themselves felt in Portland. We have taken a particular shellacking financially in recent years. We have lost credibility at the polls with the voters. We have lost votes on finance issues, both for capital and for operation. At the same time, we found that an increasing proportion of the students that come to us for help carry with them a greater burden of problems to be dealt with. As a measure of some of the problems we were faced with last year, we closed school a month early in order to keep our expenses within revenues. Not only were our kids deprived of 20 days of the education to which they are entitled, but virtually all of our employees took a 10 percent salary cut. This year we have been forced to make deep cuts into programs in an effort to restore the lost days of last year. We restored 15 of the 20 school days that were lost last year. The only bright spot in being able to keep expenses within revenues has been a decline in enrollment which has, at least in part, offset some of the more dramatic effects of insufficient revenues. The State is embarking on, under the leadership of Governor McCall, a new school finance proposal. I am pleased to report that the Oregon State legislature (house of representatives) last week passed this package virtually intact and that it is going to receive speedy consideration by the senate soon. Under this plan, 97 percent of school support would come through State sources. When the legislature has concluded its action on this plan, it will be referred to voters, as it involves constitutional change as well as legislation, perhaps in April, and the voters will decide then whether or not this new package will be adopted. Of course our speculation on that item is greatly up in the air. I would like to mention now some of the concerns and ideas we have with regard to reenactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. First of all, I greatly appreciate this opportunity to appear before the committee and to testify favoring reenactment of that legislation. I think it is to be commended that early hearings are being held because this will help remove some of the problems that local school officials face having to do with uncertainty of programs and uncertainty of funding. I am also delighted to understand that there is a broad base of representation that has been appearing before this committee and will continue to appear before this committee. I think that will insure a broad base of support for the legislation that results. I would like to make some comments about title I of ESEA. We recognize that there have been abuses and we recognize that there have been examples of ineffective programs. However, we have had good experience in Portland with title I. Some of the barriers that we see to title I being totally effective include: 1. Insufficient funding. We are faced with funds only sufficient to serve about half of the youngsters who really are entitled to compensatory services. |