Oregon Public Broadcasting

A public opinion poll conducted over the weekend finds overwhelming opposition to Portland Public Schools’ budget-cutting plans.

District officials have suggested eliminating physical education in the lower grades as one way to help absorb a $19 million state budget cut. But a new survey has found that 86 percent of Portlanders oppose balancing the budget by cutting PE.

The poll was funded by health and sports advocates, like Nike, the American Diabetes Foundation, and the Oregon Sports Authority.

Drew Mahalic leads the Oregon Sports Authority.

Drew Mahalic: “When you cut physical education, it’s deleterious to the kids’ health, their academic achievement in school, and interestingly enough, is that it’s a social justice issue, in that the kids who are already disadvantaged, are the ones who suffer the most.

Mahalic would prefer to see further spending of the district’s reserves, instead of cutting PE.

Davis, Hibbits and Midghall conducted the poll. 300 people were surveyed.  The poll's margin of error is between five and six percent.