Board hears estimate of ~$80,000 shortfall; staffing to be shifted to new tutoring grant

At the work session Speaker 3 told the board the district faces a projected budget shortfall of approximately $80,000 driven by rising costs for salaries, insurance and benefits. To address the gap, the district plans to remove 3.53 FTE from the Title I-A grant budget but to continue the affected employees on district payroll by assigning them to a newly awarded state high-dosage tutoring grant.

Speaker 3 described the tutoring grant as a new, competitive award for which this district was among the few recipients in eastern Oregon. She provided an estimated year-1 award of about $80,000 and a two-year total in the range of $160,000–$170,000; she said she would confirm exact figures with the grant manager (Christie). The board asked whether employees would receive termination notices during the funding change; staff responded no—positions will be funded under different grant codes and employees will continue working.

Board members also reviewed budget-publication requirements (Argus notice window 5–30 days), a planned budget committee meeting in early May and possible adoption in June. Members discussed the budget committee vacancy process; Speaker 3 noted current state law requires the first attempt to fill a budget-board vacancy come from the equity committee but that legislators may change that requirement.

The district said it will place the staffing change on the open meeting agenda and include the actions in the public record to ensure transparency. No formal vote or final budget adoption was recorded at the work session.