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Parkrose board hears union concerns as CFO outlines short-term borrowing plan
Summary
District CFO Sheree Lewis told the Parkrose School District board the district expects temporary cash from a TAN by early June while a PFA representative warned that a state executive order and budget shortfalls are creating anxiety among teachers; a recent union survey found 87% of respondents favored temporary pay sacrifices to save jobs.
The Parkrose School District on Tuesday heard sharply practical warnings about staffing risks while the districts finance chief laid out a short-term borrowing timeline.
CFO Sheree Lewis told the board the districts general fund picture remains strained and that staff had submitted a Tax Anticipation Note (TAN) instrument; officials expect to sign the instrument by the end of May and to begin receiving cash in the first week of June to stabilize operations for the next four to five months. "We're about 144,000" worse than last month, Lewis said, noting incumbrances and payroll that will still hit the budget. She said the TAN sale is expected to be finalized in late May and early June and that more precise numbers should be available after an expected May 21 phone call.
The district also heard a PFA representative describe how a recent Governors executive order has limited when furlough days can be used and has increased anxiety among educators statewide. The union speaker said the PFA polled its members and that "Overwhelmingly 87% of our members who voted voted in favor" of temporarily sacrificing pay for a small number of non-student-contact days and holidays to preserve jobs. The representative framed the proposals as a last-resort measure to avoid reductions in force and said clearer communication to the public is needed when such sacrifices are chosen.
Board members pressed for clarity on timing and communications. One member said the districts May 1 deadline for decisions on staffing made timely notice important so staff could seek other employment if necessary. The CFO acknowledged increased costs in areas such as membership dues and conference registrations and said she had taken a conservative credit for certain incumbrances in the current numbers.
The board approved its consent agenda by voice vote during the meeting; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.
What happens next: The CFO said the TAN instrument was expected to be signed by the end of May and that the district should know more after the May 21 call; the union said bargaining would continue with a scheduled session the next day. The board and staff said they would work on clearer communications to explain trade-offs and timeline to families and staff.
