Gresham-Barlow School District Proposes Budget; Reveals Possible Cuts to Staff, Curriculum

GRESHAM, OR — Gresham-Barlow School District officials presented the proposed budget for the 2017-2018 school year Thursday, revealing a $3.5 million shortfall in next year's available funds. The shortage, officials said in a statement Friday, will likely result in staff and curriculum cuts.

Citing its own $130 million general budget fund, the school district said it will need to pull from its reserves as well as make cuts in order to balance the forthcoming school year. State lawmakers previously acknowledged the possibility of future cuts in Oregon's schools when Gov. Kate Brown in January proposed a budget that forecast the next two years of state spending — should legislators agree on proposed revenue measures.

One potential 2017-2019 state framework budget would provide K-12 schools $7.8 billion — more than $200 million below the state's current funding level. Oregon lawmakers, in a proposed budget statement, predicted schools across the state will face teacher layoffs, larger class sizes, fewer school days, reductions to educational and extracurricular programs, and cuts to school facility staff, including librarians and counselors, as a result of the overall budget cuts.

"It is disappointing that once again Oregon schools are facing budget reductions," Superintendent Jim Schlachter said in the district's statement. "The Gresham-Barlow School District is working to manage reduced state funding by using reserve funds to keep staff reductions to a minimum."

District officials said $2 million of its estimated $12 million in reserves could potentially be used to sustain operations, but added that it is still likely 11 positions would be cut through attrition — allowing employees to leave with no intention of refilling the vacant position.

Additionally, if lawmakers adopt the $7.8 billion budget for the 2017-2019 biennium, the Gresham-Barlow school district will face another $3 million shortfall for the 2018-2019 school year — for a total shortage of more than $6 million from 2017 to 2019. The consequence for the district if such a thing were to occur is the likelihood of more staff cuts and reduced programs for students.

The silver lining, district officials said, is that several new curriculums — including elementary and high school math curriculums — were purchased this past school year and will be made available beginning in September 2017; and funds from the district's 2016 school bond will help cover costs for needed capital facility improvements, "allowing the district to reduce the amount spent on capital facility expenditures in the general fund," officials said.

The district's Budget Committee will meet May 22 to vote on the budget, officials said, and public testimony will be taken at the meeting. Once the budget is approved by the Budget Committee, the school board will vote on adopting the budget at its meeting June 8.

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