Central School District 13J budget committee approves $66.8 million budget, sets permanent tax rate

Central School District 13J's budget committee approved a $66,796,560 total budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year and voted to set the district's permanent tax rate and debt-service levy after a staff report on funding estimates, projected carryover and potential program reductions.

The committee's vote on the budget, taken after a detailed presentation on enrollment-driven revenue changes and a stress test of possible federal and state cuts, passed by recorded voice (motion passed; tally reported as 11 to 1). A second motion to set the permanent tax rate and levy for debt service was approved unanimously.

District staff said the proposed total budget reflects updated state school fund estimates, added federal grant carryovers and program reallocations. "We are presenting tonight a general fund budget of 49,381,642," said Cece, a district budget staff member, while walking the committee through the packet.

Why it matters: the budget committee's approval sends the package to the school board for final adoption. Staff emphasized that several key revenue lines remain estimates until state and federal calculations finalize in June and July; those changes could alter allocations but are not expected to exceed the 10% threshold that would require a new public budget hearing.

Key points from the presentation

- Revenue and estimates: Staff reported a revised state school fund estimate (discussed in the presentation as moving from an earlier figure to $11.36 billion at the state level) and said final state calculations from the Oregon Department of Education are expected in early July. The district will monitor enrollment counts through June, which affect per-student allocations.

- Federal and state grants: The district…