Facing declining enrollment and higher operating costs, the Eugene 4J School District plans to make a significant budget cut next school year.
Brian Bull / KLCC
Eugene 4J School District is preparing for significant budget cuts as enrollment declines and costs go up.
The district has roughly 1,000 fewer students now than it did five years ago.
District spokesperson Kelly McIver said the enrollment slowdown is likely caused by lower birth rates and high housing costs — which can prevent young families from moving into district boundaries.
Oregon funds schools on a per student basis — which means 4J will soon receive less state funding. McIver said the district is also facing higher insurance and retirement costs and has spent the last of its federal pandemic aid. He said 4J will need to cut $25 million before next school year.
“There’s a very high number of school districts around the state that have been in cut mode now for the last couple of years,” McIver said. “Because of 4J’s use of reserves, we have staved that off, but now we need to be in that same mindset of making spending reductions.”
The district used roughly $30 million in reserves to make it through this school year.
McIver said 4J plans to cut costs by not replacing staff that quit, or retire and by spending less on materials and supplies. There are currently no plans to lay off workers or close schools.
“We’re trying to keep those cuts as far away from the classroom as we can so we’re not looking at massive increases in class size and other things that directly support students,” McIver said. “However, because we are talking about decreasing overall the number of staff, there are positions that will still have an impact.”
He said some programs that provide specialized support might be a little smaller, and the district plans to cut back, or eliminate services it contracts with outside entities for.
McIver said the Trump administration’s promised cuts to the U.S. Department of Education are not a part of 4J’s current budget challenges, and the district will adapt to those changes when they are announced.
The public can weigh in on the plan during budget committee meetings in March and April. The School Board will consider, and adopt the budget in May.
Rebecca Hansen-White is a reporter with the KLCC newsroom. This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.
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