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Jackson County schools will lose millions, but how many millions? By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Uncertainty hangs over Jackson County schools as they wonder whether to expect cuts of $5 million or $16 million, depending on how Oregon's budget crisis is resolved. While the dust hasn't fully settled on attempts to plug the state's $846 million shortfall, local schools this week were told by the Oregon Department of Education to anticipate revenue losses for next year of about $140 a student. With this kind of reduction, school districts already are planning layoffs and elimination of positions, including 35 to 40 at Medford schools. However, under a worst-case scenario, the state could cut $476 a student - about $16 million countywide - if voters in May turn down a legislative referendum to use $220 million from the Education Endowment Fund. The lack of a firm revenue allocation has left most administrators frustrated and perplexed. "I don't feel I can hang my hat on this number," said Ashland schools Business Manager Loren Luman. "I don't feel it has come to fruition." Nancy Heiligman, director of school finance for the Oregon Department of Education, said uncertainty about school funding will require an upcoming poll of voters to determine if a majority would approve the use of this one-time education fund. "We just don't know yet how people will vote," she said. In the meantime, Jackson County school administrators are tentatively starting to prepare their budgets. The Ashland School District, which has forecast a $2 million shortfall, will begin the grim task of deciding how many teaching positions it may have to cut. "We're going to have to make some adjustments," said Luman. "We're going to have to pare back." But the possibility that revenue allocations could change in May is particularly worrisome to Luman. "That late in the process is the most troubling," he said. Like many school districts, Ashland is looking at rapidly rising expenses that have far outpaced the revenues offered by the state. Medford schools Superintendent Steve Wisely said his district would get $78,509,041 under the current budget agreement. However, after expenses are subtracted, the district faces a $2.4 million shortfall. Wisely said this could mean the loss of 35 to 40 teachers and support personnel. Last year, the district cut about 35 positions. He expects there should be enough attrition in the next few months to resolve the staff cutbacks without layoffs. "We hope there will be $2.4 million worth of vacant positions before the board adopts its budget in June," he said. But Wisely said it will be a close call for the district to avoid layoffs this year - particularly difficult if the state decides to make deeper cuts. Rogue River schools Superintendent Charles Hellman said decreases in enrollment and increases in expenditures have meant the loss of two positions through attrition as well as planned layoffs of two to four staff members. "The thought that we may see further cuts if the endowment fund bill does not pass will be a nightmare for schools and for the K-12 education in this state," he said. "If these kinds of cuts are made, no one will like the education system provided to their children." Central Point schools Business Services Director Vicki Robinson said her district anticipated some of the funding problems and has stopped making any unnecessary purchases as a way to build up its carryover funds for next year. Her advice to school employees has been: "If your chair has a hole in it, put duct tape over it." The district hasn't bought any textbooks this year and has held off purchasing computers and other equipment in an effort to create carryover funds of more than $1 million. Last year, these measures helped the district set aside a $1.9 million cushion, compared to three years earlier when only $29,000 was in the bank. The district expects to receive about $27.6 million from the state next year but anticipates expenses of $28.4 million. Robinson believes it would be fiscally imprudent to use up the entire carryover account to make up the shortfall. As a result, the district will spend the next few weeks prioritizing where it could make cuts next year and to offset a potential shortfall in 2003-04, she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.