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On Friday, March 24 the Co-Chairs of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means released their Budget Framework for the 2023-25 biennium. The framework cites four guiding principles for investments supporting the most critical issues facing Oregon: K-12 education, housing and homelessness, health care, and behavioral care.
Despite this acknowledgement, the recommended State School Fund (SSF) allocation aligns with the Governor’s recommendation of $9.9 billion, which is $400 million short of what districts across the state are advocating for to maintain current services.
If this amount is upheld by the legislature, HSD would experience a funding shortfall of $10.2 million over the biennium. While we could absorb this shortfall with remaining ESSER funds, that is not a sustainable or available strategy for future biennia. For context, a shortfall of this size is the equivalent of the following over a two-year period:
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78 teaching positions OR
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136 support positions OR
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An increase to the ratio of licensed staff to students (average class size increase) of 3.92 OR
- 10.1 school days
The District’s 2023-24 Proposed Budget is designed to appropriate at Current Service Level with various spending plans if the SSF is less than needed. A management plan is in place to staff at lower levels of funding, and adjustments may occur in the second year of the biennium to provide stability of service to students.
Efforts to enact state-level initiatives like Oregon Paid Family Leave and additional instructional and operational requirements, as well as to recruit and retain quality staff, and provide stable services to students, all hinge on available resources.
The most recent State Revenue Forecast indicates Oregon has the resources to support K-12 education at the Current Service Level of $10.3 billion in the 2023-25 biennium, so advocacy toward increasing the allocation to that dollar amount will continue. Your ongoing support is very much appreciated.
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