Myrtle Point SD 41 board names budget chair and reviews balanced draft budget with seismic retrofit grant

The Myrtle Point School District 41 board opened its first budget meeting and approved a budget chair before turning to a presentation of a draft balanced budget for the 2025–26 school year.

“This is the 1st budget meeting of the Myrtle Point School Board,” the chair said as the meeting opened. Bridget, who presented the budget message, said the district is preparing its plan around the governor’s proposed $11,300,000,000 state school fund for the 2025–27 biennium and will finalize local allocations once the state’s revenue forecast is released.

Bridget said the budget was prepared with an estimated enrollment of 540 students for 2025–26 (current enrollment 542) and includes a beginning general fund balance of $1,475,000 within about $10,960,000 of projected general fund revenue. “With the information discussed above, we have developed a balanced budget for the 2025–26 school year that we are presenting to you,” she said.

The draft incorporates several designated revenue streams. Bridget said the district expects approximately $145,000 in Measure 98 money, which must be spent on career and CTE programs, college-level opportunities and dropout prevention, and about $612,000 in Student Investment Account (SIA) funds to support roles such as a K–12 behavior specialist, a FACS/Spanish teacher, a local teacher and a nurse.

The budget includes planned expenditures and contingencies: $30,000 for food-service support, $75,000 for unemployment costs for classified staff, $150,000 in operating contingency and $250,000 of unappropriated funds slated to carry into July 2026 if needed. Bridget said the budget assumes a 5% pay increase for licensed staff and a negotiated increase for classified staff per the contract agreement.

A major capital item in the draft is a state seismic retrofit award Bridget said totals $2,494,980. She described the project as potentially a two-part effort (exterior work followed by interior work) and said she intends to apply next fall for a second seismic grant of roughly $5,000,000 for additional work on the same building. “We have the seismic grant revenue of 2,494,980,” Bridget said, adding that RFPs for engineers and architects will follow once the grant is signed.

Board members pressed staff on uncertainty about federal dollars. Bridget warned that some federal programs and reimbursements remain uncertain and that reductions could affect food-service funding and other federal program allocations; she said the budget is conservative to allow for adjustments if those federal dollars are reduced. She also noted a possible reduction in TRIO funding was reported that morning, which could affect the district’s program mix.

Staff advised board members to submit questions by the following Monday so responses can be printed for the next meeting. The board also completed leadership appointments: the chair called for nominations and, after a second and a voice vote recorded as “Aye,” the board approved the nominated budget chair and later a vice chair.

The board left the draft budget under review; members will reconvene with printed answers to submitted questions at the next scheduled meeting.