PORTLAND, Maine — From ongoing issues paying staff — to the superintendent calling it quits — Portland Public Schools are in some hot water.
School leadership addressed city councilors Monday night to lay it all out during the annual State of the Schools Address.
Portland School Board Chair Sarah Lentz delivered the address.
Lentz touched on the district's many accomplishments and goals as well as the district's payroll crisis.
“We have failed our staff,” said Lentz. “Our payroll system has been in crisis for weeks.”
Earlier, Lentz told NEWS CENTER Maine, some 700 school employees have either been incorrectly paid or not at all since October.
While Lentz said they've seen progress to pay staff — some are still not getting paid correctly.
"Most of the discrepancies in pay are an underpayment or an overpayment," explained Lentz.
She said Spyglass Consulting will be doing a forensic audit of the school systems payroll system, which will really help, in the short term, correct any issue that has happened with the payroll.
This is all after just last week, Portland's Superintendent Xavier Botana announced he's resigning, as a result of the payroll system crisis.
"Though he is leaving this way, his legacy and his work is still here, and the board fully intends to move it forward," Lentz reaffirmed.