Black Butte School enrollment declines

Fewer students are attending Camp Sherman's Black Butte School this year.

"In March 2002, the Board of Directors directed a reduction in work force for certified staff due to anticipated long-term decrease in student enrollment for Black Butte School (BBS)," budget officer and teacher Toni Foster stated at a budget meeting last week.

"Enrollment in the 2001-2002 year declined 30 percent and another 30 percent decline in student enrollment is expected in the 2002-2003 year."

Enrollment for next year is projected to be between 14-16 students, compared to 24-26 this year.

"In light of the reduction in work force, the board instructed the budget officer to propose a staffing level of 1.5 certified teachers and 1.5 instructional staff in the 2002-2003 budget," Foster said.

Commenting on the decline in number of BBS students, School Board President Laurie Adams said, "The trend is down right now. We've had as many as 36 students and as low as six at BBS (K-6) in past years.

"Housing in the area is expensive and we have calculated, if present trends continue, that by 2008 we will have four students."

At the same meeting, Black Butte School's budget committee approved a $650,000 budget for the 2002-2003 school year.

"The 2002-2003 budget proposes the formation of two new special funds; one is for the PERS debt and one is a curriculum fund to track legislative dollars distributed in the 2001-2002 year to be used for curriculum materials," Foster stated. "Twenty percent of the proposed budget revenue is directed to cover two years of PERS (Public Employees Retirement System) debt at a sum of $132,000.

Black Butte School district is a K-12 operation operating in Jefferson County.

The school serves mainly kindergarten through sixth grade; students within the district generally attend middle and high school in Sisters and the district pays tuition for this schooling to the Sisters School District.

The 2002-2003 year budget allocates over $172,000 for the purpose of educating 27 middle and high school students from the BBS district.