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School budget processes that generally start after spring break have been postponed while local districts wait for some indication of what they’re up against.
A letter from the state sent out Thursday gave districts some parameters, warning K-12 districts to be prepared for a possible budget shortfall of between 4 and 12 percent for the next two years.
The final K-12 statewide budget for the current 2007-09 biennium was $6.13 billion.
The letter from Gov. Ted Kulongoski and State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo said the K-12 budget projection for the upcoming years could fall between $5.4 billion and $5.9 billion, 8 to 15 percent below the Governor’s recommendation of $6.4 billion.
“The reality is that all the economic indicators are heading in the wrong direction,” said Morgan Allen, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Education, adding that the letter was to help prepare schools for possible worst-case scenarios. Solid numbers aren’t expected to come out until after the May 15 state economic forecast, and some are already guessing that those projections could still be too optimistic.
Reaction from local school districts was mixed as administrators received yet another projection.
For Douglas County’s largest district, the difference in numbers was too large.
“That kind of range doesn’t help us really because it’s so broad,” said Roseburg Public Schools Superintendent Larry Parsons. “As much as I appreciate them giving us something, it’s such a broad range as to not be helpful.”
Parsons said the district was still working with numbers that anticipate a $5 million decrease, or 9 percent, of this year’s $55 million general fund.
Roseburg’s first budget committee meeting is on May 20, after the next forecast.
For the South Umpqua School District, the numbers from the state will help the district look at how it will cover a 22.9 percent drop in funding caused by the slipping economy and declining enrollment, in addition to payments on a new gym that cost $400,000 a year.
South Umpqua Director of Fiscal Services Chris Davidson said based on the $5.4 billion figure, the South County district would need to reduce its 2009-10 budget by $3.1 million, adding $1.36 million to cuts the district had already planned.
In the $1.75 million South Umpqua had already planned to cut in March, 33 positions were to be cut.
Davidson said the district is in a catch-22 situation as additional personnel cuts mean more unemployment costs, which then lead to still more position cuts.
The district has scheduled an all-staff meeting today to discuss what options the unions could start looking as it goes into negotiations.
Some considerations on the table include revisiting a four-day school week, which the school board recently voted against, scaling back insurance, PERS and wages; a bond levy to pay for the new Coffenberry Middle School gym; and the elimination of extracurricular activities.
Davidson said the district will need to look carefully at many of those suggestions to ensure the district isn’t making cuts that would encourage more students to leave the district.
In Riddle, Superintendent Dave Gianotti said his district generally budgeted very conservatively and was planning on $3.5 million next year, $400,000 less than this year.
Though the smaller district many not be in quite the financial pinch of the larger districts, Gianotti said the budget crunch is still a blow to how the schools function.
“We’re definitely underserving students,” he said. “We need to find a more sustainable way to fund government in Oregon. It’s hard to maintain services to the public when you have a constant erratic funding source.”
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
A letter from the state sent out Thursday gave districts some parameters, warning K-12 districts to be prepared for a possible budget shortfall of between 4 and 12 percent for the next two years.
The final K-12 statewide budget for the current 2007-09 biennium was $6.13 billion.
The letter from Gov. Ted Kulongoski and State Schools Superintendent Susan Castillo said the K-12 budget projection for the upcoming years could fall between $5.4 billion and $5.9 billion, 8 to 15 percent below the Governor’s recommendation of $6.4 billion.
“The reality is that all the economic indicators are heading in the wrong direction,” said Morgan Allen, spokesman for the Oregon Department of Education, adding that the letter was to help prepare schools for possible worst-case scenarios. Solid numbers aren’t expected to come out until after the May 15 state economic forecast, and some are already guessing that those projections could still be too optimistic.
Reaction from local school districts was mixed as administrators received yet another projection.
For Douglas County’s largest district, the difference in numbers was too large.
“That kind of range doesn’t help us really because it’s so broad,” said Roseburg Public Schools Superintendent Larry Parsons. “As much as I appreciate them giving us something, it’s such a broad range as to not be helpful.”
Parsons said the district was still working with numbers that anticipate a $5 million decrease, or 9 percent, of this year’s $55 million general fund.
Roseburg’s first budget committee meeting is on May 20, after the next forecast.
For the South Umpqua School District, the numbers from the state will help the district look at how it will cover a 22.9 percent drop in funding caused by the slipping economy and declining enrollment, in addition to payments on a new gym that cost $400,000 a year.
South Umpqua Director of Fiscal Services Chris Davidson said based on the $5.4 billion figure, the South County district would need to reduce its 2009-10 budget by $3.1 million, adding $1.36 million to cuts the district had already planned.
In the $1.75 million South Umpqua had already planned to cut in March, 33 positions were to be cut.
Davidson said the district is in a catch-22 situation as additional personnel cuts mean more unemployment costs, which then lead to still more position cuts.
The district has scheduled an all-staff meeting today to discuss what options the unions could start looking as it goes into negotiations.
Some considerations on the table include revisiting a four-day school week, which the school board recently voted against, scaling back insurance, PERS and wages; a bond levy to pay for the new Coffenberry Middle School gym; and the elimination of extracurricular activities.
Davidson said the district will need to look carefully at many of those suggestions to ensure the district isn’t making cuts that would encourage more students to leave the district.
In Riddle, Superintendent Dave Gianotti said his district generally budgeted very conservatively and was planning on $3.5 million next year, $400,000 less than this year.
Though the smaller district many not be in quite the financial pinch of the larger districts, Gianotti said the budget crunch is still a blow to how the schools function.
“We’re definitely underserving students,” he said. “We need to find a more sustainable way to fund government in Oregon. It’s hard to maintain services to the public when you have a constant erratic funding source.”
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
