News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Sisters students will likely have days cut from their class schedule and see the size of their classes increase in the wake of the resounding defeat of Measure 30 at the polls on Tuesday, February 3.
The temporary income tax surcharge was rejected by voters by a gaping margin statewide. Deschutes County voters said "no" by a ratio of 65 percent to 35 percent.
The voters' decision prompted immediate response from the Sisters School District.
"We have determined that the district will need to cut as much as $800,000 from our budget (over two years)," Sisters School Superintendent Lynn Baker said in a memo to staff on Wednesday, February 4.
However, he noted, "I believe this is a worst-case scenario that can improve during the coming months."
Improvement could come through increased student enrollment, an improving economy or legislative action to soften cuts.
But for now the Sisters School District is looking at significant cuts this year and next.
Some cuts have been made already by leaving positions unfilled and shuffling staff. According to Baker, the district is looking at cutting 10 to 18 work days from the 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years; leaving vacated positions unfilled; cutting supplies and services; and cutting support staff.
Deep cuts to co-curricular programs have been a consistent feature of the past several years and elementary school counseling and physical education programs have also been cut.
Baker said the district would continue to try to gain funds to support programs through grants, the Sisters Schools Foundation and partnerships with SOAR (Sisters Organization for Activities and Recreation).
Increased costs are also looming. Contract negotiations with staff are underway and Baker noted that "any increased cost coming out of negotiations will increase our budget problems."
The superintendent acknowledged that there are already built-in cost increases stemming from bargaining agreements with classified (non-teaching) staff for 2004-05 and increases due to people moving up the salary schedule.
The district does not yet have exact figures for those increases, Baker reported. The figures many not be known for a while.
"It may be a month or two," Baker said. "I don't know how long negotiations are going to last."
The superintendent said, "I realize that the employees of this district have borne the brunt of reductions in the past through decreased salary... Although a decrease in work days will be an unavoidable part of our solution, it should not be the only part of our solution."
Local option tax funds have become an increasingly critical part of the district's budget. According to Baker the approximately $700,000 provided by local option in 2003-04 represents 8 percent of the district's budget.
"In light of Measure 30, (local option) is very critical," Baker said.
The four-year levy expires after the 2004-05 school year. According to Baker, the district is now deciding when to ask voters to renew the levy.
A vote in the November 2004 general election would not be subject to the "double majority" turnout requirement to be a valid election, but Baker expressed some concern that November "might be too early."
Subsequent elections would be subject to turnout requirements.
The district "probably wouldn't go any later than March," Baker said.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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