The chair of the Portland school board is apologizing for payroll issues that delayed checks for many staff members, and is pledging to implement long-term solutions.
During a "state of the schools" address Monday night, board chair Sarah Lentz outlined the causes of the district's problems, which include issues with the system's initial setup and staff turnover.
Lentz said the district has worked with the teachers' union to ensure employees will receive due compensation, and has brought in additional staff and a consultant to fix the payroll problems.
"These people worked around the clock, and still are, to rectify our problems. Some of their ordinary responsibilities were deferred, but we've made payroll a priority," Lentz said.
The crisis ultimately prompted Superintendent Xavier Botana to resign last week.
A search for a new superintendent has already begun, as Botana had expected to retire next June. Lentz said the district hopes to have a new permanent leader by July 1.
During the address on Monday night, Lentz said that leaders didn't do enough to prioritize the payroll issues and communicate the problems to staff members.
"As I said at a recent board meeting, we have failed our staff," Lentz said. "However, we have now made it our first order of business to resolve these issues and we continue to do all we can to repair the damage done and restore employee trust."
