Superintendent Hellman outlines Vernonia SD proposed 2627 budget, flags $1M special-education shortfall

Superintendent Hellman presented the Vernonia School District proposed 2627 budget as a cautious plan to maintain core programs amid rising operational costs and funding uncertainty. She read the financial overview that projects formula revenue at $9,763,915.95 — including a general purpose grant of $8,935,915.95 and a transportation grant of $828,000 — and said that formula funding equates to approximately $12,501 per extended ADMW student.

Hellman described staffing and program priorities in the proposed budget, noting the district projects 76.74 FTE for 2627 (34 licensed, 32.69 classified) after reductions from prior years. She called attention to special education as a major pressure: “Special education costs exceed state funding allocations by more than 1,000,000 annually, 1000000 dollars annually,” she said, explaining the district serves 103 students with special needs but receives funding only up to about 11 of those students under current state weight limits. The presentation described trade-offs — enrollment volatility, teacher-to-student ratio changes, and use of attrition to preserve an ending fund balance near 3.8% — and pointed committee members to detailed pages in the budget packet for follow-up questions.