By Stephen Floyd
The Silver Falls School District (SFSD) is asking the public what they would like to see prioritized financially as significant cuts for next year threaten staff, programs and facilities.
The district has been advised to reduce the 2024-2025 budget by roughly $8.8 million, or 12 percent of the current budget, to correct years of overspending and revenue losses.
During the April 22 meeting of the SFSD Board, Interim Superintendent Joe Morelock said the district is seeking community input on what cuts should be avoided.
He said they are planning a survey through ThoughtExchange to ask what the district should keep, from specific sports and clubs to specific teachers and buildings. Survey answers would be open-ended and respondents could also vote on which answers from other community members they agree with.
Morelock said the results of this survey would be given to the board to help it make better-informed decisions on reductions for next year’s budget.
The survey, posted in late April, has been shared through the district’s various information outlets. It is available at: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/984085505/.
Morelock said the board needs to decide where to make cuts soon because it has until June 30 to approve a budget for the next school year. He said it is also important to act promptly to keep employees informed of their job prospects.
Morelock said reducing expenditures would be complex because staffing, programs and facilities were all interconnected. Adjustments to one might require adjustments to another. He said administrators will create an overall scope of budget reductions, then work out details of how those reductions could specifically be applied.
Morelock acknowledged current budget plans are vague. He said when specifics start coming into focus, the district will share those details publicly.
“As soon as we know more we’ll tell you more, I promise,” said Morelock. “We don’t want to hold anything back.”
