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Cascade schools face rising PERS costs; district reviews 2026–27 budget
Summary
Superintendent Darin Drill and Finance Director Wang told the board the district is preparing the 2026–27 budget amid rising PERS burden. Cascade is spending about 92% of its general fund on salary and benefits; bond financing is being monitored but current interest rates are too high to act now.
Superintendent Darin Drill and Finance Director Wang told the Cascade School District #5 Board on April 13 that the district is intensively reviewing the 2026–27 budget to address an anticipated spike in PERS costs.
Drill said he and Finance Director Wang have scrutinized every line to identify savings and efficiencies. Wang told the board that Cascade currently spends roughly 92% of its general fund on salaries and benefits — higher than historical statewide ranges of about 84–90% and lower than larger districts such as Salem‑Keizer, which he reported is spending about 95%.
Board members discussed options including potential participation in a bond to offset costs, but both staff said interest rates remain too high to pursue a bond purchase now. Drill also cautioned that while current districtwide class numbers have inched up, incoming cohorts appear smaller; he estimated Cascade could serve about 2,900 students if evenly distributed, a figure the board said will be considered in budget modeling.
