On Monday, April 3, 2023, the Tigard-Tualatin School District held a work session board meeting to discuss budget reductions for the 2023-2025 biennium. Most of the discussion centered on right-sizing, the process of eliminating staff positions when business or budget conditions require a reduction. 

    “As we know, we have less kids, about 1100 [less]. Over the course of the last couple [of] years we have not reduced the staff, so we are looking at right-sizing,” said Debbie Ebert, the human resources director for TTSD.

     In the budget update during the April 24 school board meeting, presenters CFO David Moore and Superintendent Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith explained the three reasons for budget cuts occurring in the district: inadequate state revenue, the enrollment loss in the school district, and inflationary cost increases. 

     The district will need to account for the loss of 11 million dollars this year, and 4 million the following. Of the 11 million dollar deficit for this year, 5 million is being accounted for through reductions to teachers within the district. 

     “We need to adjust enrollment or adjust staffing to the enrollment, and the standard that we are using is the class size ranges that we had pre-pandemic,” Rieke-Smith stated in regards to the process of reducing the number of teachers. 

     However, the reductions alone will not completely eliminate the budget’s deficit. There is still an operating deficit of 6 million dollars for this year, and 4 million for the next. Rieke-Smith briefly touched on the plan to close the 6 million dollar gap.

     “That is the work of the cabinet and department directors. There has been a fair amount of work that has been done trying to look for those areas within budget that are important but not mission critical,” Rieke-Smith shared. 

     On the morning of April 26, Tigard High School teachers met with Superintendent Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith and Principal Brian Bailey in a private meeting to discuss the RIF. An emergency meeting was also held on the morning of April 28. 

     In an attempt to speak with Principal Brian Bailey on April 26, he told The Paw that “No public information could be shared at this time.” 

The Paw will share more information as we receive it.