State budget won't help Sisters schools

Gov. Ted Kulongoski's proposed $5 billion public education budget for the next biennium doesn't provide much solace for Sisters school administrators.

Superintendent Ted Thonstad said, "The district is facing increases in every budget category and at this level of state funding (less than a two percent increase for two years), I am concerned that the additional funds generated by both growth and the local option levy will not be enough to cover these increased costs. As a result, I anticipate that the Sisters School District, similar to most districts in the state, will have to make some hard choices regarding priorities when we begin attempting to balance next year's budget."

In a written statement responding to The Nugget's inquiry, the superintendent also said he understands the constraints under which the governor was forced to prepare his 2005-07 budget proposal. But he added:

"Where we part company in a big way is on the amount of $5 billion budgeted for K-12 education. The only positive that comes to my mind as a result of that number is that at least it represents an increase and not another reduction in funding...

"It is obvious the funds are just not available to support the $5.3 to $5.425 billion needed to maintain current services -- length of school year, class sizes and staffing levels.

"However, I would have thought a budget in the range of $5.15 billion to $5.2 billion (approximately the same amount that was initially budgeted for the 2003-05 biennium before the failure of Measure 38 resulted in cuts that reduced the final number to $4.9 billion) would have been more realistic, based on his recognition of the importance of education to the future of the state. Even at that amount, many districts would most likely have had to make significant cuts."

The Sisters general fund budget for the current year, 2004-05, is $8.78 million.