Gov. Kotek says there won’t be special session to address school funding, open drug use

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek announced Tuesday that she will not be calling for a special legislative session to address pressing issues like school funding and banning open drug use.

Instead, Kotek said lawmakers will tackle these matters in February 2024 during the next regular session. However, she did weigh in on the Portland Public Schools teachers’ strike and education funding.

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The governor frequently spoke with both sides throughout the PPS’ strike negotiation process.

“The strike was a reflection of larger challenges that districts across the state are facing,” Kotek said. “From salaries not staying competitive with the market, to backlogs in facility maintenance, to classroom disruptions related to the behavioral health needs of students, we clearly have work to do.”

One out of every three school districts in the state will be in labor negotiations in the coming months, which the governor said means the legislature has to look at some kind of statewide salary schedule for teachers.

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Kotek said she plans to develop a statewide action plan to “support the social-emotional health needs of students,” help establish minimum teacher salaries and review funding for schools, and create an Office of Transparency within the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to make budget information more accessible for teachers.

“…I commit to partnering with educators across the state to tackle the systemic issues that contributed to this strike,” Kotek said. “We all have an opportunity to do our part to ensure our schools are safe, successful places for students, teachers, and school employees.”

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KOIN 6 asked whether the governor’s office is willing to take some of the state’s expected income tax surplus to fund a specific item, like mental health counselors in the schools. She said no.

However, she said she plans to ask lawmakers to come up with $90 million to help the state transportation department pay for winter maintenance like plowing highways.

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