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Banks SD 13 urges legislators to use education stability fund as budget uncertainty grows
Summary
Superintendent-level presenter told the board the district faces a possible $300,000 shortfall next year and urged use of Oregon's Education Stability Fund to avoid staffing cuts; he highlighted special-education reimbursement limits and a 20% cut to outdoor school funding.
Speaker 3 (Presenter) used the meeting to review district revenues and state budget context, telling board members that K–12’s share of the state general fund has fallen from roughly 42% two decades ago to about 27% in the current biennium and that Banks SD 13’s enrollment is down at the K–2 level.
On the state tax called the corporate activity tax (cap tax), Speaker 3 said the tax’s revenue has not fully restored the prior share of general-fund dollars directed to K–12, and that while the legislature might cite an 11% increase in the state school fund, local budgets have seen roughly a 3% year‑to‑year increase after accounting for other shifts.
Special education: Speaker 3 warned that the state cap on special-education funding (11%) limits state reimbursement even though Banks’ special-education enrollment is near 15%. He said moving the cap to 15% would yield “about a half $1,000,000 more in funding” for the district, and that high‑cost students can require services that exceed $100,000 per year.
Outdoor school: Speaker 3 said a late decision by higher-education budget actions reduced outdoor school funding by 20%, costing the district about $15,000 this year; the Northwest Regional ESD is temporarily offsetting that gap with reserves for the current year only.
Education Stability Fund ask: Speaker 3 summarized the district’s legislative priority: asking state lawmakers to use the Education Stability Fund to maintain current allocations and avoid local staffing reductions if the February revenue forecast worsens. “Our legislative priority is to advocate for the use of education stability fund,” Speaker 3 said, and invited board members to the Northwest Region legislative summit on Jan. 7 to meet local legislators (named in the meeting as Senator Weber and Representative Edwards).
Board members pressed for concrete asks and metrics. Speaker 7 recommended focusing on a narrow set of measurable items (for example, special-education reimbursement) that legislators can act on rather than debating percentage figures across decades. Speaker 1 and others said reimbursing special education costs and addressing the outdoor school cut are priorities the board could advocate for.
What remains unresolved: the state revenue forecast due Feb. 4 will determine whether cuts are required; the district said it has a contingency plan that would avoid personnel reductions this year but that sustained shortfalls could force staffing choices next biennium.
Next steps: staff will work with legislators and regional partners to press for use of the Education Stability Fund and refine the district’s prioritized asks for the short legislative session.
