Battleground School District outlines deep cuts, staff receive reduction-in-force notices

Superintendent Denny Waters told the Battle Ground School District Board of Directors on May 12 that the district has delivered roughly 65 reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to certificated staff and identified about 25 positions that will be eliminated because of retirements as the district narrows options to close a budget shortfall after a failed levy.

Waters said the roughly $20 million in cuts the district outlined at the prior meeting represented a worst-case scenario and that the administration is studying whether fund balance could be used to restore some programs. Chief Financial Officer Michelle Scott told the board staff are examining the fund balance and said any use would need to be spread over two years because of levy timing; Waters gave examples showing, for instance, $10 million of fund-balance support would be applied as $5 million each year under the district’s planning assumptions.

Board members and district staff framed…