Board adopts 2026–27 budget after members raise concerns about process and oversight

The Dufur SD 29 Board voted to adopt the 2026–27 budget, allowing district business to continue and bills to be paid on schedule. Administration said the approved budget had been presented for a majority vote on May 12 and that the public hearing occurred on June 2; the board's final approval was described as necessary before June 30 to avoid operational disruption.

Multiple board members expressed frustration with how the budget was prepared and presented. One member said the board had not been sufficiently involved in early prioritization and felt "blindsided" by cuts that were not discussed during prior budget meetings. Another member recommended a workshop with OASBO/OASBA to develop a prioritization framework and monitoring triggers so the board could be engaged earlier in decisions. The motion to approve the budget passed with one opposing vote; the opposing member said they opposed because the process excluded adequate board input even though they recognized the need to approve the budget to keep operations running.

Board discussion included requests for clearer reporting on object-code changes, explanations of a $133,000 projected increase in contract services, and methods for automatic notification if expenditures exceed a threshold. The adoption concluded with the board asking administration to develop stronger monitoring and budgeting policy recommendations for future cycles.