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Parent urges Gresham-Barlow board to shift turf savings to avoid staff cuts; asks how budget funds safety plan
Summary
At a June 4, 2025 budget hearing, parent Samantha McWilliams asked how the 2025–26 budget will support implementation of the district's new safety plan and MTSS protocols, questioned a 3-FTE increase in the administration budget, and suggested reducing planned turf-field savings of $500,000 per year to avoid cutting staff.
The Gresham-Barlow School District Board of Education held a budget hearing on June 4, 2025, at the Public Safety and Schools Building in Gresham. Dennis Clague, the district's director of finance, opened with an overview and said the purpose of the hearing was “to receive public testimony and respond to questions concerning the budget and fiscal policy decisions reflected in the budget.”
Parent and district volunteer Samantha McWilliams used the public-testimony period to press the board for clarity and changes to the proposed 2025–26 budget. McWilliams asked, “In what ways is the budget for 2025-26 supporting the implementation of the new safety plan/MTSS protocols?” She also asked why the administration budget shows an increase of three full-time equivalent positions and whether the board has considered reallocating funds—citing a $500,000-per-year savings planned for turf fields—as one option to avoid cutting staff and to defer turf spending to a future bond.
Chair Kris Howatt acknowledged the questions and said the board would discuss them during the regular business meeting when it takes up budget adoption. Director Mayra Gómez relayed the same guidance in Spanish for attendees. The minutes record that the hearing opened for testimony at 6:50 p.m. and closed at 7:00 p.m.; a regular business meeting followed at 7:00 p.m. where the budget adoption would be considered.
The record does not show a board decision during the hearing; the minutes capture questions and the board's intent to address them during the upcoming business meeting. The minutes for this session were later signed and identified as submitted by Sarah Avery, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Directors, and approved by the board on July 2, 2025.
