The Greater Albany Public School District 8J board on Monday adopted the 2024–25 budget presented by district finance staff and approved an amendment adding $556,000 in Title I expenditure authority.

The change was one of two technical adjustments Finance staffer Jane asked the board to include in the adopted budget; the other corrected negative FTE lines to reflect the actual positions the district expects to fill. “The total general fund did not change. The total FTE cut did not change. It just corrected positions to match reality,” Jane told the board.

The Title I adjustment follows notice that the district will receive $556,000; Jane said the appropriation was added to the district’s 200 fund pending final confirmation and that school principals and the Title I coordinator would work out program details. “At this time, we have not received confirmation that for sure we get those funds and we have not worked with the principals,” she said.

Why it matters: the Title I funds increase the district’s restricted program authority for federally supported services for low-income students. Board members also debated whether to reduce the district’s reserve from 8% to 7% to free roughly $1 million for operations. Board member Roger argued against lowering the reserve, saying reduced cash-on-hand would increase the risk of being unable to meet payroll if a revenue source failed to appear in the fall.

“The conversation that I’ve heard is reduce your reserve fund, so we can stave off some unpleasant things for another year,” Roger said. “The risks are that you get in a place where you can’t pay your bills.”

Other board members voiced concern about the long-term sustainability of drawing down reserves; supporters of keeping the 8% balance cited the district’s monthly payroll and exposure to insurance and other cost increases. The board ultimately approved the budget as presented and adopted fund-balance/appropriation language required by governmental accounting standards.

The board’s action followed public testimony during the budget hearing required by ORS 294.453. Finance staff noted that statewide adjustments to poverty measures changed Title I allocations and that the district did not receive any additional state funding updates at the time of adoption.

Ending: Board documents indicate district staff will finalize Title I program plans with principals and the Title I coordinator. The adopted budget will be posted as the official record of the board’s vote.