Parkrose budget presentation warns federal grant cliff and special-education funding cap could worsen district shortfall

Superintendent Andre Goodloe and district finance staff told the Parkrose School District Board of Education on Feb. 10 that revenue projections and possible changes at the state and federal level mean the district faces a budget shortfall next year and greater financial risk in the following year.

The presentation laid out three drivers: a drop in temporary federal relief dollars (ESSER) that the district spent between 2021 and 2024, uncertainty about future federal title grants, and the way Oregon’s state funding formula treats special-education costs. “The state gives me $10,922 per student,” Sherry, a district finance staff member, said during the presentation, citing the board’s most recent per-student state allocation. She said the district’s audited total expenditure per student in 2022–23 averaged roughly $17,000, with some schools reaching about $21,000 per student.

Why it matters: Parkrose’s general fund budget is roughly $39 million in the current planning year, and the district used one-time federal and other targeted funds to support ongoing positions and services. The board heard that many…