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Pendleton School Board frames budget planning as a "values‑based conversation"
Summary
Superintendent Michelle Jensen led a Feb. 3 work session framing budget planning as a values‑based conversation and guided the Board through ranking top priorities; staff outlined district spending categories and noted fixed versus flexible dollars.
Pendleton School District 16R held a work session on Feb. 3, 2026, in which Superintendent Michelle Jensen described the budget discussion as "a values-based conversation," urging the Board to build shared understanding before final budget decisions. The meeting began at 8:00 a.m. and was offered in person and virtually.
Michelle Jones, Director of Business Services, explained how district dollars are allocated among Instruction & Staffing, Student Supports, Operations & Transportation, and Required Services & Compliance, and noted which funding elements are largely fixed and which are flexible. Jensen led the Board through an exercise to rank each member's top three priorities and facilitated a discussion about emerging budget pressures and key takeaways from the rankings.
The session was explicitly framed as a preparatory, non‑decisional conversation: Jensen emphasized the intent was to strengthen the Board/District partnership and understanding rather than to approve a final budget proposal on the spot. The work session adjourned at 8:48 a.m.
