How can the Silver Falls School District reduce its 2024-25 budget by $8 million? All parties concerned (school board, district administration, staff and general public) may have to lower their expectations to some degree to make it happen. Bake sales and fundraisers certainly won’t.
I am retired and have no connection with the district other than trying to be a conscientious and educated voter … with some background in Oregon local government budgeting. I leave the “blame game” of how the district got into its current mess to others who are closer to the situation to hash out.
There are several ideas that should be open for discussion, however unpopular they may be to some, as follows (numbers used are drawn from April 10, 2024 Statesman Journal article):
• Consolidate top-heavy district administrative staff to the basic positions of superintendent, finance director, personnel director, special ed. director and maintenance director (no asstistant superintendent, “goodwill ambassador,” etc.).
• Reduce staff to appropriately align the recent 5.3% increase in licensed teaching staff with the parallel 7% reduction in student enrollment.
• Reduce special education spending to no more than federally required minimum services (and use some innovative thinking to further reduce those costs).
• Close one or more outlying schools, particularly any which have a disproportionate number of transfer students who could or should be getting their education in Salem-Keizer or whatever other district in which they actually reside.
• Convince understandably skeptical voters to pass a 3-5 year local option tax (but ONLY if it is somehow structured to address deficit reduction or a clearly defined emergency reserve account).
School districts across the state frequently decry the loss of COVID Relief funds (or simply grants that have run their course) as contributors to their financial woes. Such funds should never be used to start new programs or positions without a plan to be able to continue those programs when the “free” money runs out.
It has been reported that the school board plans to seek a … Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) to cover much of the current year’s deficit. The urgency of doing so is understandable (and it may well be the only available option), but it is fundamentally unsound; just like any average citizen going to a payday loan store to borrow against next month’s paycheck.
These are all possibilities that could or should be on the table for a lively community-wide discussion. There are undoubtably other possibilities, as well. Don’t “kill the messenger” on this. It’s just one person’s thoughts on an issue that everyone wants to see resolved successfully.
Chris Childs, Silverton
