PPS Board chooses bikes over books: Offers $5 million for Sam Adams' bike lanes, but can't find money for science books

The Oregonian reports that this week, the Portland Public Schools board agreed on textbook series that should be used in every school to teach science in grades six through eight.

At the same meeting, the board voted to hand over $5 million of bond money to fund one of Mayor Sam Adams favorite transportation projects.

It's not just about modernizing schools anymore: School bond money slated to support Sam Adams' pet projects

Willamette Week reports that this week, the Portland School Board and the Portland City Council are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding that commits $5 million of the district's proposed $548 million construction bond to transportation improvements around several schools should Portland voters approve the school district's new tax levy in May.

In addition to handing money over to the City of Portland, the agreement (pdf) would require the school district to use resources and class time to promote Mayor Sam Adams' pet project called Safe Routes to Schools. (The programs spends part of its multi-million dollar budget sponsoring a Safe Route to Schools haiku contest and a t-shirt design contest.)

The agreement between the City and PPS would require that the school district:

Pursue  the development and adoption of District policy promoting walking and biking to school.

The City Council meeting is Wednesday, March 2, 9:30 am at Portland City Hall.

Even with Sam Adams and Jeff Cogen pushing for higher taxes, only half of likely Democratic voters favor largest property tax increase in Oregon history

The Oregonian's Steve Duin reports on Portland Public Schools megabucks campaign to send property taxes through the roof:

The three girls sit in the middle of the maelstrom Monday night, the Hansen soda cans empty, the pizza slice forgotten, pounding numbers into cell phones, oblivious to the din about them.

A half hour earlier, Mayor Sam Adams rolled through the room like a wisp of smoke, leaving Jeff Cogen, the Multnomah County chairman, to frame the challenge posed by the Portland Public Schools' $548 million bond measure.

Even with political heavyweights calling the shots and kids straight out of Oliver Twist, the developer funded campaign is challenged to find support even among the strongest supporters of public education.

After an hour, the girls tally up the results. They made 146 calls and connected with a grand total of 30 voters. Sixteen of the 30 said they'd support the $548 million bond measure and the local option levy. Seven were negative and seven undecided.

And these are the likely voters, the motivated voters, the Democrats?