Portland school board reverses deal to fund school police

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland school board is headed back to the drawing board in its negotiations with city police to deploy nine full-time officers at its high schools.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that amid backlash from students and community members, the board voted Tuesday to pull back a contract it approved on Dec. 11. Back then, the district pledged $1.2 million per year to pay for city police officers to patrol its nine public high schools.

Board members now say the financial liability should rest with the city, not the school district. And before their vote to reverse course Tuesday, some wondered whether the district has been too quick to give concessions when it’s asked to pick up a bill.