Astoria SD 1 budget committee approves $53.1 million 2026–27 budget and authorizes debt levy

The Astoria SD 1 budget committee voted to approve the district’s proposed 2026–27 budget and authorized a debt‑service levy at its May meeting. A staff member read the motion approving the district’s budget with line items that included a general fund of $35,000,009.05 and a total for all funds of $53,093,924; the committee then voted and the motion passed.

Why it matters: the vote finalizes the district’s spending plan and the tax levy language that will appear on property‑tax statements and in the district’s budget documents. Committee discussion highlighted trade‑offs that influenced members’ votes, including the high marginal cost of adding instructional days and ongoing questions about how certain federal funds are allocated.

Discussion and key points A staff member told the committee that “it would cost to add additional instructional days ... $82,000 a day,” a figure cited repeatedly in discussion as a primary fiscal constraint on lengthening the school year. The staff member also clarified that the $82,000 estimate “doesn’t include the 12 month approval” and other ongoing costs that would accompany any multi‑year schedule change.

Members raised concerns about programmatic funding and accountability. Staff explained that a gifted/talented line appears on page 75 of the budget and that Title III (fund 215) was not shown in one summary because the district had historically participated in a consortium; the district expects to handle Title III locally next year if it formally exits the consortium. Staff noted specific allocations already budgeted in the general fund for substitute costs and supplies at two schools that together approximately equal $8,000.

Committee members pressed on transportation for athletics, citing examples and per‑trip cost estimates. Staff gave an example of a large‑bus trip (an away softball trip to St. Helens) and estimated typical large‑bus costs in the $400–$850 range depending on distance, drive time and standby hours; staff said the district uses historical seasonal spending to set allocations and is working to limit trips that pull bus drivers out of a school for a full day.

During a general comment, the committee chair cautioned that state test proficiency rates (cited in discussion at roughly 30–40%) represent a “big red flashing light,” and said the district should consider whether additional school days or more teachers are warranted—even though members acknowledged doing so would be costly.

Formal actions - Motion to approve the school district budget for 2026–27 (as read by a staff member): General Fund $35,000,009.05; Special revenue funds $10,000,886.04; Debt service funds $7,012,432; Capital projects $100,000; Total all funds $53,093,924. The motion passed (chair announced “The motion passes”).

- Motion to set the property tax rate (per $1,000 of assessed value) in support of the general fund and to authorize a debt‑service levy of $4,750,000 to service the district’s general obligation bonds. The second was recorded and the motion passed on voice/roll call.

What was not resolved or requires follow‑up Staff and committee members agreed to clarify the district’s participation status in the Title III consortium and to move certain small substitute/supplies allocations into the appropriate federal fund next year if the district withdraws from the consortium. Members also asked staff to provide more detail on transportation formulas and per‑season athletics allocations ahead of final implementation.

Next steps The committee set its next meeting for 06/10/2026 at 5:45 p.m. in the school district boardroom. The approved budget and levy language will be reflected in the district’s formal budget documents and related notifications.

Attributions Quotes and attributions in this article are taken from meeting remarks recorded in the committee’s transcript and are attributed to speakers by the functional role used in the transcript (e.g., “a staff member,” “the chair,” “committee member”).