Passage of tax measures some relief for Baker schools

By CHRIS COLLINS

Baker City Herald

Tuesday’s passage of two statewide tax-raising ballot measures isn’t a cure-all for what’s ailing Oregon schools, but it did provide a measure of relief, according to Doug Dalton, Baker School District business manager.

“One of our four weights has been lifted,” Dalton said Thursday in reflecting on the election results.

The 5J District would have been faced with trimming this year’s budget in preparation for slashing up to $1.1 million from next year’s spending plan had Oregon voters turned down Ballot Measures 66 and 67, Dalton said.

“The piece of our budget that’s represented by these dollars is preserved,” he said. “This is not additional revenue to the school district above and beyond what was originally budgeted. It merely preserves what we had budgeted for.”

Ballot Measure 66 will increase taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and 67 increases some business taxes. Together they are expected to raise $727 million authorized earlier by the state Legislature to fund education as well as health care, public safety and other services throughout Oregon.

Community residents should understand that passage of the ballot measures does not solve all of the funding challenges faced by the small school districts of Eastern Oregon, Dalton says.

School funding also is dependent on performance of the state’s economy in general and how that will translate to school funding, he said. And as the 5J district’s enrollment continues to decline, so does the allocation of state funding, which is based on the number of students served, Dalton said.

“The third potential loss is stimulus funding,” he added.

The district has received more than $1 million in federal stimulus money that has been used to pay for specific teachers and specific programs.

“Ballot Measure 66 and 67 preserved what we budgeted for,” Dalton said. “Now we’ll turn our attention to the other three major potential losses of funding in planning for school year 2010-11, with those challenges yet unanswered.”

While declining enrollment has been an ongoing issue for the district for several years, the possible loss of stimulus money and the lagging state economy are unique in recent times, Dalton noted.

“We’ll be faced with these funding challenges into the foreseeable future,” he said. “And we are going to continue to respond appropriately and continue to operate as cost-effectively as we can while providing the highest level of education to our students.”

The district has actually been able to cut costs in some areas because of declining enrollment. North Baker School and the Central Building on the middle school campus were closed last spring and staff reductions were made. In the meantime, other savings have come from technological advancements and the district has renegotiated some equipment leases for further savings, Dalton said.

On the other hand, collective bargaining for wage increases is under way with licensed staff and classified workers and health insurance costs as well as the district’s contribution to the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) are expected to increase in the coming year.

“The funding challenges for the Baker School District are going to continue,” Dalton said.

As the district’s management team  begins next year’s budgeting process, it will first look at ways to reduce the costs that impact education the least.

“We approach the cost-cutting process with that mentality,” Dalton said. “We keep the education of the children as the goal anytime we discuss these things.”