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Forest Grove SD 15 flags deficit spending, declining enrollment as budget season opens
Summary
At a Feb. 25 budget committee meeting, district finance staff outlined a budget calendar, projected deficits and enrollment declines and urged the committee to plan for state funding uncertainty linked to the legislative session and special-education funding proposals.
The Forest Grove School District budget committee on Feb. 25 was presented with a fiscal overview showing declining enrollment, ongoing deficit spending and uncertainty tied to the state legislative session as the district prepares its proposed budget.
Director of Finance Eileen Klute told committee members the process timeline: the budget message and proposed budget will be delivered on May 8, with optional deliberation meetings on May 15 and May 22 and a target to finalize the committee’s recommendation by May 22 so the district can meet county tax-certification deadlines in early July. “The budget document itself … sets the max appropriation levels that we can expend for the course of the year,” Klute said.
Why it matters: the committee must set maximum appropriations before the state completes its long legislative session. Any change in the state school fund or other statewide decisions will require adjustments after the committee approves the recommended budget.
Klute reviewed the district’s recent financial picture. She said last fiscal year the district reported about $133,000,000 in total resources, roughly 61% of which was general fund. She said about $81,000,000 of…
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