Budget committee reviews West Linn‑Wilsonville SD 3J proposed 2026–27 budget

The West Linn‑Wilsonville SD 3J budget committee met to consider the district's proposed 2026–27 budget, a plan totaling $325.4 million across funds and a general‑fund proposed expenditure of roughly $159.2 million. Staff told the committee the draft reflects consolidation savings of about $1.5 million, a $2.5 million shift of certain expenditures into the bond fund and a reimbursement/legal‑fee item in the packet of roughly $921,000.

Staff summarized fiscal assumptions and program choices and warned that the next biennium remains the primary uncertainty. "We end with $4,000,000 in our ending fund balance," said the staff presenter (S3), noting the district uses conservative assumptions (3.5% assessed‑value growth and a 97% collection rate) when preparing the budget. Committee members pressed about how falling enrollment and state funding could change that projection and whether the board should preserve contingency balances rather than reduce programs now.

Committee member S11 moved to approve the proposed budget as presented, reciting fund totals and permanent and local option tax rate language; the motion was seconded. (The transcript records the motion and second but does not record a final vote tally in the provided excerpts.) The committee also discussed whether to include a $150,000 annual payback to the district's land‑proceeds account that was authorized as a 10‑year repayment in 2020; some members urged waiving or delaying repayment to preserve programs while others cautioned the land account exists to allow opportunistic future purchases.

The committee set the stage for the board's June 15 consideration and asked staff to provide follow‑up details on enrollment sensitivity, transportation costs, and grant reporting before final adoption.