West Linn-Wilsonville School District adopts 2024-25 budget

With graduations in the rearview and the end of school around the corner, the West Linn-Wilsonville School Board passed the annual budget for the 2024-25 school year on Monday, June 10.

The total budget amounts to $276,577,298 for next school year; this includes the $10 million in cuts that the district signaled it would have to make in May.

The general fund totals $159,040,621, the special revenue fund totals $30,412,795, the debt service fund for general obligation bonds totals $31,320,151, the debt service fund for the two pension bond series totals $11,554,315 and the capital projects fund totals $44,249,416.

The current property and local option levy tax rates will remain the same.

Following initial budget discussions, Assistant Superintendents David Pryor and Barbara Soisson discussed how new literacy programs and initiatives, following the adoption of a new reading and writing curriculum for elementary students, would be protected despite budget cuts.

“We have preserved opportunities for continued professional development, of course. (This past year) we had funding for teachers to receive quite a bit of training,” said Superintendent Kathy Ludwig. “Where that will continue next year is the school work plan, giving both time and resources toward teachers now implementing those materials.”

The proposed budget shows a revenue-expenditure difference of negative $14,714,802. This difference also leaves an ending fund balance of close to $7 million for the district — an unsustainable balance for next school year and “why another reduction and increased state funding in the following biennium will be needed,” according to the superintendent’s budget message.

The cuts represent reductions to the operational budget, administrative and student support personnel and 12 primary classroom teachers.

“I feel like Dr. Soisson and Dr. Pryor’s presentation is precisely why making cuts of the magnitude we had to make is so incredibly challenging because we’re really talking about outcomes for our students,” said school board member Kirsten Wyatt. “We're not here because we were irresponsible with funding or that we didn't project the right amount of revenues. My favorite aunt always told me, ‘you’ve gotta roll with the punches because you never know what life is gonna throw your way.’”

Hughes also provided a brief monthly financial report following the budget adoption, which included the district’s current reserve fund balance of $21,684,301.