PORTLAND, Ore. — The Vancouver Public Schools board of directors unanimously approved $35 million in budget cuts for next school year at Tuesday night’s meeting.
“We’re here tonight unfortunately not to celebrate but rather to look at some pretty challenging circumstances and how to move forward with that,” Superintendent Jeff Snell said.
The reductions would see nearly 262 staff positions cut from the district, including 50 elementary teachers; 63 secondary teachers; 33 teachers on special assignment; 19 counselors and librarians; and 29 custodians, plus nearly 20 central office workers, among others.
Some of the highest-paid administrators in the district would have nine furloughed days in the 2024-25 school year.
“It is with regret that we must pass this resolution ... it is unbearable. It is heartbreaking,” said board member Wendy Smith, who fought tears during the vote.
How did the budget cuts arrive?
In recent years, Snell said there’s been a growing financial gap between staff salary costs and funds from the state. On top of the state reducing the number of staff positions, it will fund compared to what the district said is needed.
About 85% of the district’s budget is staffing costs, Snell said. The remaining funds go toward items such as insurance, facility costs and school supplies. Snell said the district will need to cut about 8-10% of its budget costs to make up the funding gap.
While these deficiencies have been looming on the horizon for years, district leaders said that they’ve waited as long as possible to make necessary cuts in hopes the Washington Legislature would provide more funds.
Up to this point, the district has avoided making major cuts by dipping into its reserve fundings and using federal COVID-19 relief funds. With relief funding now exhausted, lower enrollment projections affecting funding grants and costs rising, Snell said the district was left to with two options: either cut staff or reopen the collective bargaining agreements to see if staff would take a pay cut, which could take a long bargaining process, Snell said.
Jamie Anderson, president of the Vancouver Education Association, said the budget cuts will most likely increase class sizes at a time where student needs and support is increasing. Over 50% of the budget cuts are toward position layoffs. Anderson said that many educators are terrified.
"Even though this was coming it’s kind of been a slow rip of the band-aid, just waiting for it to happen," Anderson added.
Going forward
Snell encouraged all who attended the board meeting to also show up at the state legislator’s office next year to petition for more funding.
“The gap, we’re not making that up,” Snell said. "That’s a gap that’s going to continue, and if we don’t address it at the state level, then we will continue to have these cycles, and these cycles tear our community apart.”
Education cuts around Oregon, Washington
The $35 million in budget cuts at Vancouver Public Schools joins the growing number of school districts in the Portland metro facing major cuts, including Portland Public Schools and Salem-Keizer School District.
Evergreen Public Schools in Vancouver on Tuesday also announced a nearly $20 million budget shortfall that could eliminate elementary school librarian positions.