Silver Falls SD 4J seeks community input on $4–5 million in ODE grant funds amid budget pressures

Silver Falls School District 4J staff presented an overview of the Oregon Department of Education(ODE) Integrated Plan and asked students, parents and staff to prioritize how the district should spend about $4 million to $5 million a year in restricted grant funds.

Kim, a district staff member leading the presentation, told the group that the Student Investment Account and related grants are now combined into a single Integrated Plan and that the district applies each year through the Student Investment Account. "It's about 4 to $5,000,000 a year for our district depending on where the allocation comes in," Kim said, and stressed that the money is restricted: "these special funds are often referred to as boutique funds or restricted funds ... they can't just go for anything."

The presentation framed the Integrated Plan around four ODE-required goal areas: well-rounded education, educational equity, engaged community and strengthened systems and capacity. Staff said the district will focus discussion on four program areas within the Integrated Plan: High School Success, the Student Investment Account (SIA), an early indicator and intervention system, and early literacy.

Why it matters

District leaders said the special funds support positions and services that would otherwise be difficult to sustain, and that the timing of state and federal decisions will shape next year's budget. Staff emphasized two immediate budget pressures: a projected increase to the district's PERS employer rate that will require setting aside roughly $2.5 million to $3.0 million, and several deferred-maintenance items including multiple roofs and future turf replacement that together could cost more than $1 million for single projects.

Discussion highlights

- Funding size and limits: Staff repeated that the aggregated ODE grants total roughly $4to5 million and stressed the restrictions on use. The district budget overall was described at about $80 million; staff said special grant funds are not part of the general fund and must be used only for allowable purposes. (Kim, district staff member)

- PERS and long-term fiscal pressure: A district finance staff member explained that the employer rate change tied to PERS will increase costs and that the district had previously used a PERS pension-obligation bond and side accounts to reduce costs; staff estimated the bond strategy has saved taxpayers about $14 million to date. The same staff member said the district will need to plan for the recurring increase in employer contributions. (District finance staff)

- Staffing supported by grants: Staff said roughly 34.5 full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions were funded through the grant programs the previous year; those 34.5 FTE represent about 42 individuals in a mix of full- and part-time assignments. The district reported about 200 teachers and roughly 70 FTE classified staff overall. (Tony and Sam, district staff members)

- Potential federal changes: Staff noted possible federal reductions an example mentioned in the meeting was a hypothetical 25% cut to Title I and potential elimination of Title II and Title III that could force the district to backfill reading specialists and other positions from other sources if those programs are reduced. (Kim)

Community priorities and requests

Attendees working in table groups proposed priorities the district should "start, stop, keep" as the Integrated Plan and budget are drafted. Common themes the district recorded:

- Start or expand: online/hybrid program options to recapture enrollment; increased counseling and discipline support at middle and high school levels; expanded AP and CTE access; math intervention and math lab supports at the high school; preschool and expanded extracurriculars; clearer career-pathway advising and cross-curricular projects. (Community members, students, staff)

- Keep: as many instructional aides (IAs) and targeted intervention positions as possible; current reading and intervention staffing where effective. (Parents and staff)

- Stop or modify: curriculum products not aligned to the science of reading (participants noted the district's current Wonders adoption and discussed whether to replace it), and district processes that do not show measurable outcomes. (Teachers and parents)

Students who spoke said schedule and program design affect learning and well-being. "The block schedule ... reduced this amount of stress in kids," said Josh, a student, urging the district to consider schedule changes that allow longer class periods for lab and CTE work.

Next steps and timeline

Staff said the district will wait for the official ODE allocation in spring before finalizing specific dollar amounts for individual grant uses. They will collect survey responses from tonight's participants and post results to the district website. Staff also flagged the district's upcoming strategic-plan work and said the board and administrators will use community input to shape proposals for how to spend Integrated Plan funds next year.

What the meeting did not decide

No formal motions or votes occurred at the session; the event was a stakeholder work session focused on gathering feedback. Staff did not commit to specific hires or program restorations at the meeting and repeatedly described proposals as priorities under consideration pending final allocations and board decisions.

Ending

District presenters thanked attendees and said administrators will synthesize the survey and table feedback, watch for legislative and federal funding decisions, then return to the board and community with proposed allocations once the ODE allocation and other funding details are firmed up.