PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The leader of Oregon’s second-largest school district is proposing a budget of $1.3 billion for the 2023-2024 school year, which is $89 million less than the current budget.
The budget, proposed by Salem-Keizer Public Schools Superintendent Christy Perry, allocates $13 million for career technical education and $4.1 million for early learners reading and writing… It also puts $14 million towards wages and insurance increases. However, that number could change since the teachers union and district are currently in contract negotiations.
But there’s no money budgeted to hire more teachers, even though the district’s average student-to-teacher ratio is about 28-to-1.
“We always need more. Our kids have very complex needs and we need more adults. It’s hard to say what the right number is,” Perry said. “If we settle on more then it will affect the budget … But that’s good faith to our employees and our employees are facing the same inflationary costs as everyone in Oregon is.”
Perry noted that this budget was put together ahead of the district knowing how much money it will receive from the state. The state legislature is still in session and has not finalized the state school fund.
Another major financial setback for the district is that an emergency grant that currently funds 116 full-time positions is set to expire in 2024. Perry who has been a superintendent in Oregon schools for nearly 20 years, will retire at the end of this school year.