St. Helens budget committee approves $71.66 million 2025-26 budget, sets $5.0297 tax rate

The St. Helens School District 502 budget committee approved the district's proposed 2025-26 budget and set the property tax levy at its public meeting, approving a $71,662,276 total budget and a permanent-rate tax of $5.0297 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The committee voted to forward a proposed budget made up of a $40,490,302 general fund, $11,712,274 in special revenue funds, $8,890,800 in debt service funds and $10,570,000 in capital projects, for a grand total of $71,662,276. Committee members also approved a general-obligation bond levy in the amount of $5,486,000. The motions passed on voice votes; the chair announced the motion carried.

The adoption vote sends the proposed budget to the St. Helens School District board for final adoption at the district's public hearing and board meeting scheduled for June 25; the superintendent reminded the committee that the budget must be adopted by state law by June 30 and that failure to meet county filing deadlines would have immediate financial consequences. "If our adopted budget is not into the county by July 15, we forego all property taxes for the 2526 school year," the superintendent said, underscoring the legal deadline for submission.

Why it matters: the district presented the budget in the context of a multi-million-dollar structural shortfall and staffing reductions. Administration described the budget as "right-sized" to match projected revenues and said that 85% of the general fund is committed to personnel costs. The superintendent and the business office answered an extended list of questions from committee members and the public about line-item changes, contingency planning and program funding.

Key details and discussion

- Shortfall and staffing: Administration said the district is addressing a roughly $6.2 million shortfall and that major reductions come from personnel and days. Officials explained that furloughing 12 days would save roughly $110,000 per day and that, absent those savings, additional reductions in staffing would be necessary. Administration warned there is "a point at which you cannot cut any more staff."

- Contingency and fund balances: The budget combines prior-year contingency and unappropriated ending fund balances into an $800,000 contingency for 2025-26. Administrators described the change as a reclassification of prior-year amounts into a single contingency line.

- Substitutes and contracted services: The budget includes $477,000 for substitute teachers through a contracted provider (listed under purchase services). Contracted services for hard-to-fill special education roles (school psychologists, speech pathologists) were moved to a purchase-services line at a higher level to reflect market realities.

- Curriculum and supplies: A planned health curriculum adoption at an estimated $400,000 was deferred because the district lacks a replenished textbook-adoption fund. Consumable-supplies line items were reorganized at school and district levels; administrators said some apparent increases reflect reclassification and improved transparency rather than new spending in all cases.

- Programs and fees: The district indicated that most travel and professional-development expenses come from restricted grants (for example, Student Investment Act dollars, Title II, AVID and private donations) and not the general fund. Facility rental revenue was reported at roughly $2,800 per year historically, with administrators saying district rental rates will be reviewed to reflect replacement costs (for example, turf replacement).

Public comment and staff perspectives

Several teachers and community members spoke during the public-comment period. A first-grade teacher at Lewis and Clark Elementary noted how much overtime staff have worked, citing a colleague who logged about "403.47 overtime hours just this school year so far," and urged restoration of lost instructional days and staff. A community member thanked the new administration and urged broader, ongoing community involvement in budget planning. A union-affiliated commenter sought clarity on the dollar amount needed to restore furlough days and was told by administration that roughly $1.3 million would be required to begin restoring days, subject to board approval and bargaining processes.

Process and next steps

Administrators said the budget committee satisfied its role of reviewing the proposed budget for balance with revenues and contractual obligations; personnel and program decisions remain within administration and collective-bargaining processes where applicable. The committee-approved proposal will be publicly noticed as required by Oregon law and placed on the board's June 25 agenda for final adoption. The superintendent reiterated the legal filing deadlines and potential consequences for missing the county submission deadlines.

Ending

Committee members and several public speakers urged continued transparency and recommended mechanisms for earlier and broader community involvement in future budget cycles. Administration said staff will continue to refine coding and reporting to make future budgets easier for program managers and the public to review.