St. Helens School Board appoints budget officer, adopts $71.66 million budget and approves related administrative resolutions

The St. Helens School District 502 Board of Directors appointed a budget officer, adopted the district's 2025'26 budget and made several administrative resolutions during its June 25 regular meeting held as the public budget hearing.

The board moved to appoint Christine Litter (chief financial officer) as the district budget officer and then adopted a fiscal 2025'26 budget and appropriations statement listing total appropriations of $71,663,276. The board also adopted a supplemental budget for fiscal year 2024'25 that reallocated $200,000 from contingency to support services and $100,000 from transfers to instruction to address unforeseen expenses in the current year.

Adopted budget and appropriations details were read into the record. The board-recorded totals included general fund appropriations for instruction ($21,038,145) and support services ($18,217,090); a special revenue fund total of $11,712,074; debt service of $8,890,800; and capital projects appropriations of $10,570,000. The resolution text placed the adopted, all-funds total at $71,663,276 and stated the budget is on file at the district administrative office at 474 N. 16th Street in St. Helens.

Board members and staff explained constraints on moving funds between grant (special revenue) accounts and the general fund, noting grant monies are restricted to grant purposes and an 'unappropriated ending fund balance' cannot be moved by supplemental budget law. District staff said leaving funds in contingency for 2025'26 provides flexibility for future unanticipated needs.

In related administrative business, the board passed resolutions to: (1) designate Corinne Barrettas Brown (name as stated in the meeting) as chief administrative officer and district clerk effective July 1, 2025 (as stated in the agenda segment); (2) revise the district's list of authorized signers effective July 1, 2025; and (3) declare two district-owned items surplus (an R&R house at 835 Matson/Madison Street and a high-school item described as a 'pool ball pit') and subject them to public sale. Board members noted the Matson/Madison property had completed renovations and was ready for sale. The board also accepted the appointment of two student representatives for 2025'26.

Votes at a glance (motions read on record during the June 25 meeting): - Appointment of budget officer (resolution 2025Dash0088 as presented in the meeting): approved (motion seconded; recorded voice vote: 'Aye'). Specific roll-call tallies were not read into the minutes. - Adoption of the 2025'26 budget and appropriations (referenced in the meeting as resolution 2025Dash008 and later renumbered in the record to 2025Dash008E): approved (motion seconded; recorded voice vote: 'Aye'). Adopted total: $71,663,276. - Supplemental budget for 2024'25 (resolution referenced in the meeting as 24Dash25.009 / 2025Dash0029 in different places of the record): approved (motion seconded; recorded voice vote: 'Aye'). Changes: move $200,000 from contingency to support services; move $100,000 from transfers to instruction. - Designation of Corinne Barrettas Brown as chief administrative officer/district clerk (resolution number as listed in the meeting): approved (motion seconded; voice vote: 'Aye'). - Revision of authorized signers (resolution 2025Dash011 as recorded): approved (motion seconded; voice vote: 'Aye'). - Declaration of surplus property at 835 Matson/Madison Street (resolution 2025Dash012 as recorded): approved (motion seconded; voice vote: 'Aye'). A board member disclosed the property's prior family connection but stated no financial conflict. - Declaration of surplus item at the high school (resolution 2025Dash013 as recorded): approved (motion seconded; voice vote: 'Aye'). - Student representatives for 2025'26 (Kenneth Gritzian from Plymouth and Joseph Howard from St. Helens High School, names presented in the meeting): accepted (motion seconded; voice vote: 'Aye').

The board's public hearing portion recorded no public comment on the proposed budget at the time the hearing was opened. District staff answered board questions about HR items and recalled employees, noting HR would follow-up with specifics. District staff and board members repeatedly emphasized legal limits on reallocating grant funds and unappropriated ending fund balances under Oregon budget law.

The meeting record shows the board moved multiple agenda items from the consent/8.3 policy listing into new business for further discussion and action, which preceded the votes described above. The board scheduled an organizational meeting for July 16 in the district boardroom and noted upcoming OSBA summer conference and a possible retreat in August for the incoming board.

The meeting minutes include the adopted resolutions and supplemental budget language on file with the district; for the exact statutory citations and full resolution text, the district's adopted materials filed at the administrative office provide the official record.