Eugene 4J School District leaders say they may need to cut an additional $10 million to $20 million from next year’s budget in order to close a far larger than anticipated shortfall.
The 4J School Board already authorized Superintendent Miriam Mickelson to eliminate up to 269 jobs and scale back programs across the district; a $30 million reduction. District leaders now say those cuts likely won’t be enough.
“This news will understandably create anxiety for our staff and families, and we wish we had more to share now,” Mickelson said in the Thursday announcement. “We wanted to be as transparent as possible and let people know what we might be dealing with as soon as we knew what these recent projections could mean.”
4J spokesperson Kelly McIver told KLCC economic conditions have changed significantly since the original projection was created last year. Pension rates, health insurance and other costs also came in higher than expected.
McIver said closing schools or changing schedules is not on the table this budget cycle, but all other options are.
"Taking any of them away is going to have a negative effect on our system, on the students that those programs have benefited,” McIver said. “But when you're dealing with something of this size, you are trying to maintain as much as you can."
He said district leaders are still developing budget documents for next school year and have not yet finalized details.
Other budget cuts and consolidations previously announced include scaling back AVID–a college readiness program–cuts to technology and online subscriptions, and co-locating Family School with Camas Ridge Community School.
More information will be available at a March 31 budget meeting.
Eugene 4J is one of several school districts across the region that is struggling with a budget shortfall. Springfield laid off 27 teachers in January and is facing a $10 million shortfall next school year.
Corvallis and Bethel school districts have closed schools, and Lane Community College raised tuition and plans to eliminate 20.5 positions.
