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PERS increases and declining enrollment squeeze Gresham-Barlow finances, staff warn
Summary
Budget staff told the committee that PERS obligations and a decade-long enrollment decline are widening the district’s budget gap; officials said using reserves is unsustainable and warned the Ending Fund Balance could fall below policy levels.
Budget staff told the committee that troubling long-term drivers are straining the district’s finances: Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) contribution increases, a persistent enrollment decline, and the end of temporary federal ESSER funding. Pete Bejarano said PERS expenses have increased “double the amount of inflation” and that the district has been using reserves since 2021.
Bejarano told committee members current trends could push the Ending Fund Balance below the board-policy requirement of 8 percent. He explained reserves have been used to maintain operations during funding gaps and that one day of school costs roughly $710,000 — a figure he used to illustrate how quickly reserves are consumed. Committee members discussed whether school closures, staffing changes and local levies could be options for long-term stability.
