Public and the union urge Oak Grove board to preserve ed‑tech and site positions as budget cuts loom

Public comment and union reports at the Oak Grove School District board meeting on May 14 pressed trustees to reconsider staff reductions that the district has proposed as part of fiscal stabilization planning.

Christina Chin, a member of the public who identified herself during public comment, asked the board to “reconsider the decision to eliminate one of the edtech positions,” warning that removing that role would redistribute workload across two remaining technologists and risk loss of institutional knowledge: “Eliminating this position means the workload of three learning communities will be redistributed among only two edtech. That is not simply a staffing adjustment. It is a significant reduction in the level of support available to teachers and students during a critical period of technological growth and transition.”

During employee‑bargaining‑unit remarks, an Oak Grove Association (OGA) representative urged the board to revisit layoffs and presented an internal analysis of 5000‑series expenditures, arguing the district could preserve classroom and site positions through targeted reductions rather than layoffs. The union speaker stated prior reviews identified confirmed savings (figures presented in the meeting materials) and urged district leaders to prioritize reductions at the department level and explore revenue measures such as a parcel tax.

District staff and the budget advisory committee discussed a multi‑year approach to trimming 5000‑series spending (contracts and services). Participants recommended percentage‑based reductions carried out at site and department levels, with suggested ranges discussed informally from 3%–10%; several trustees and the superintendent expressed that a realistic target could be 5% in the coming year and another 5% the next year as part of a multi‑year plan to reduce recurring spending.

District presenters also reviewed digital‑platform contracts and said staff proposed a set of non‑renewals and replacements that would reduce next year’s district‑purchased platform spending by approximately $698,556. Staff described replacing the current diagnostic license (iReady) with an assessment bundled in the recommended curriculum (Momentum) to realize savings.

Trustees and staff noted the state May revise (announced during the board period) increased Proposition 98 funding and proposed ongoing increases for special education; speakers at the meeting said those changes could reduce, but not eliminate, the district’s structural deficit, and that new ongoing state funds would not by themselves remove the need for local budget adjustments. Trustees asked staff to return with budget numbers that reflect the latest state May revise so the board can determine whether positions could be restored.

Board members accepted staff guidance to continue the budget advisory committee process, asked staff to pursue department/site level analyses, and signaled support for a staged, percentage‑based reduction plan rather than purely across‑the‑board layoffs.

Next steps: staff said they will refine budget projections with updated state numbers, continue the committee process in late summer, and present options for targeted reductions and potential revenue measures for trustee consideration.