Warrenton-Hammond presents 2026–27 budget as enrollment drop threatens $1.7M shortfall

Superintendent Trip Goodall and Business Manager Mike Moha presented Warrenton-Hammond School District No. 30’s proposed 2026–27 budget and warned that declining enrollment and state funding uncertainty create a difficult planning environment. Goodall said creating the budget "is never easy, always priorities and issues with uncertainty around state funding."

Moha walked the committee through the budget guide and assumptions, calling attention to rising costs for PERS, workers’ compensation and unemployment. When asked about unemployment costs, Moha said the district expects "$35-40k more," noting the final amount will depend on claims. He gave a per-student figure of "$11,780 per child ADM" and said a decline of about 150 students translates to "about $1.7 million" in reduced revenue.

Moha also described a possible multi-district bond to buy down PERS rates and said the district’s five-year plan is a guide; he noted the district expects to end the year with a roughly 14% reserve balance versus an 8% board-policy target (about $1.3 million at that threshold). Moha said federal funding is not expected to materially offset the shortfall.

The presentation included staffing implications: Moha estimated "about 7 FTE" in reductions when accounting for resignations and rehires, and Goodall told the committee some reductions would occur through attrition as the district seeks to "right size" staffing while minimizing disruption. Committee members pressed on alternatives to losing students; Goodall suggested outreach and partnership programs for homeschool or charter families, citing a prior program that eventually served about 600 families.

The budget committee set its next meeting for May 13 at 6 p.m., the final date to submit questions before the committee forwards a recommendation to the full board.