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LOSD Signals Budget Cuts for the 2025-26 School Year

At the December 16th, 2024 school board meeting, LOSD began sharing news of potential budget cuts. Due to the estimated state school fund, LOSD staffing ratios, and rising PERS costs, the district business office anticipates a $12 million shortfall. LOSD will continue to provide regular updates via ParentSquare to families as more information becomes available. The below information will be updated as we receive messages from LOSD regarding the budget challenges.

In the News:

Messages from LOSD:

Greetings from Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Schiele - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on February 28, 2025

To say we are in uncertain times is an understatement. Our community is facing a significant budget shortfall, which means we are forced to make incredibly difficult decisions, including reductions in staffing. Many of you are anxious and concerned, wondering how these changes will affect you, your colleagues, and our students. I wish I could provide clear answers right now, but the truth is we are still carefully working through this complex and deeply personal process.
 

These reductions are not just numbers on a spreadsheet—they impact real people: our colleagues, mentors, and friends. We are approaching every decision with great care, following state laws and bargained agreements that prioritize seniority and qualifications. This may mean that some employees transition to different schools or roles. Please know that behind every decision, we are doing our best to honor our staff's hard work and dedication.


In our elementary schools, we may need to blend grade levels to maintain balanced class sizes, while at the secondary level, students may see fewer sections of particular subjects or electives. I encourage everyone to be thoughtful during course forecasting, as schedule flexibility will be more limited next year.


I have heard from many of you expressing support for our teachers and staff, and I am deeply grateful. Your advocacy makes a difference—please continue reaching out to state legislators as they finalize education budgets. Next week, I will meet with Senator Wagner to share our concerns, and I know that your voices strengthen our message.
Above all, I ask for your kindness and patience. We are committed to meeting with each impacted individual personally and with compassion. This takes time, and I know waiting is hard. But please, if you can, offer grace to those around you—our educators, staff, students, and families. 

Thank you for standing together during this challenging time. Your support means everything.

 

Lake Oswego School Board Meeting - February 24, 2025

Budget Questions Answered - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on February 14

As we navigate financial challenges and discuss potential budget cuts, we encourage you to review our Budget Challenges FAQ for answers to common questions.

New Budget Questions Answered - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on January 24

As we navigate financial challenges and discuss potential budget cuts, we encourage you to review our Budget Challenges FAQ for answers to common questions. We continue to update it, including answers to questions about the bond and property taxes.


Where are my taxes going to schools? Residents within the LOSD attendance area have three line items on their property tax statements that fund schools:

  1. “SCH LK OSWEGO” – This is the statewide education tax based on voter-approved Measure 5 and Measure 50. The funds collected go to the State Legislature for distribution through the State School Fund, which allocates money using a need-weighted formula on a per-pupil basis. Notably, Lake Oswego residents contribute more to the State School Fund than LOSD receives per pupil for its students.
  2. “SCH LK OSWEGO LOC OPT” – This represents the local option levy, which voters approve approximately every five years to provide additional funding directly to LOSD schools.
  3. “SCH LK OSWEGO BOND” – These are taxes from our local bond measures passed by voters in 2000, 2017, and 2021 to support capital projects like building improvements and school infrastructure in LOSD schools.


Additionally, you may see the line item “CITY LK OSWEGO INSIDE SCH” on your property tax statement for residents who reside inside the school district attendance area. This is a city tax that funds city services—not schools. None of the money from this tax goes to LOSD or its schools.
Can we use the funds spent on building new schools to fund more teachers? Bond funds approved by LOSD voters can only be used for capital improvement and significant infrastructure projects. Funds from bond measures are highly regulated and cannot fund salaries, utilities, or other operating expenses. In other words, bonds can only be used for buildings. Bond funds relieve some pressure on our operating budget by covering high-cost items like technology infrastructure and major building repairs.
 

Greetings from Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Schiele - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on January 17th

Since my message on December 14 regarding our financial challenges, I’ve been working closely with our team to develop a thoughtful and responsible approach to address our budget realities. Today, I want to share more specifics about where we stand and how we plan to proceed.

Financial Context Based on the governor’s proposed budget, LOSD is facing a $12 million budget shortfall for the 2025-26 school year. This shortfall is driven by a sharp increase in Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) costs and insufficient state school funding, which is failing to keep pace with rising expenses. Escalating costs and dwindling reserves exceed expected revenues, requiring significant action.
 

Our Approach As we navigate this process, we are guided by the following principles:

  • Prioritizing students and their educational experience: We aim to begin with cuts furthest from the classroom.
  • Focusing on efficiencies: We are prioritizing cost reductions through efficiencies rather than eliminating programs, schools, and services.
  • Collaborating with the community: We are working to increase revenue through community donations and legislative advocacy for fully funding public education.

Proposed Reductions Since 85% of our operating budget is dedicated to employee compensation, staffing reductions will be necessary for the 2025-26 school year. We will strive to minimize the impact by prioritizing natural attrition through retirements and voluntary departures wherever possible.

  • District administrative, licensed and classified school/student support personnel, and district and site operational reductions (non-classroom licensed teacher positions): $6.625 million
  • Classroom Reductions (approximately 27 teachers): $3.375 million

Moving Forward These financial realities are difficult, and I deeply understand the concerns they bring. LOSD is committed to approaching these challenges with care, collaboration, and transparency. Thank you for your dedication and partnership.

 

LOSD Budget Questions Answered - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on December 20, January 10 and January 17

As we navigate financial challenges and discuss potential budget cuts, we encourage you to review our Budget Challenges FAQ for answers to common questions. We will continue updating this document as more information is available.
If you have additional concerns or need further clarification, please use the Google Form at the end of the FAQ to submit your questions. Your input is essential in helping us address concerns and ensure transparency within our learning community. Thank you for your engagement and support.

 

Message From The Superintendent: Budget Projections - Published in ParentSquare on December 17th

Dear LOSD Community,

I am sharing important information about our district's financial challenges. Earlier today, I communicated these updates to our employees, and it’s equally important that our families are informed. Over the past decade, we have weathered economic shifts with minimal disruption. However, recent developments have created significant financial pressures we can no longer manage with our monetary reserves. My goal is to provide a clear understanding of the situation and work together thoughtfully and collaboratively as we plan for the future.

Financial Situation

Like many school districts across Oregon, we face significant budget constraints over the next two years due to a sharp rise in Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) costs. LOSD is projecting a $5 million increase in mandatory PERS rates, driven by lower-than-expected returns in the state’s PERS investment accounts and rising payroll and staffing expenses. While we anticipated an increase, this figure nearly doubled our most conservative projections. 

We have closely monitored the governor’s proposed 2025-2027 biennium budget to understand our financial outlook. Unfortunately, while the proposed state school funding is an increased allocation, it falls approximately $12 million short of what LOSD needs to maintain our current services. That $12 million shortfall, 10% of our annual operating budget, includes the $5 million increase in mandatory PERS rates.

Over the past several years, we used funds from our financial reserves to enhance support for our students and community as we recover from the pandemic’s impacts. This investment was meaningful and necessary, but it has depleted our reserves. 

To address the $12 million budget shortfall projected for the 2025-2026 school year, we must immediately reduce non-essential spending and implement thoughtful plans for the next budget cycle. 

Budget Reductions

Tightening our financial belts across every district department and school means carefully evaluating operational expenses, limiting supply purchases, and significantly reducing discretionary spending. These difficult yet necessary measures help protect the long-term stability of our educational programs and support systems. 

However, with most of our operating budget allocated to staffing, more is needed to address the full extent of our shortfall. We must undertake a reduction in force (RIF) to achieve the required budget reductions. These decisions are complex and guided by state laws and our bargained agreements, but knowing that does not make the process any less painful or the impact on our staff and community any less significant.

Community Support

Our community has always been a cornerstone of strength in challenging times, and your support makes a difference. 

  • Lake Oswego Schools Foundation: Nearly 40 years ago, families came together to ensure our schools continued to thrive during funding cuts. Today, the Foundation continues to fund educator positions in every school. I encourage you to learn more about how your Foundation contributions help enhance the educational experience for all students.
  • Parent Clubs: Our incredible PTOs, PTSOs, PTAs, Boosters, and other parent organizations are vital partners. From volunteering time and talent to providing resources, your involvement truly matters. Thank you for heeding the call from your principals, teachers, advisors, and coaches when asking for help.
  • Advocacy for School Funding: The Oregon legislative session begins on January 21. Join me, our school board, and school leaders in advocating for public school funding. Please share your voice with our state representatives about investing in education.

As we move forward, I want to acknowledge that this news brings uncertainty and concern for our staff, families, and students. Please know that we are approaching these challenges with great care and a commitment to protecting the quality of education for all learners.

We will continue to provide regular updates. Thank you for your understanding, support, and unwavering dedication to our schools and students.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jennifer Schiele
Superintendent, LOSD

 

Lake Oswego School Board Meeting - December 16, 2024

 

Greetings from Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Schiele - Published in The Current (LOSD Newsletter) on December 13, 2024

At Monday’s School Board meeting, we will discuss the financial challenges facing LOSD and the steps we need to take together to address them. 


We have successfully managed economic impacts for the past decade without significant disruptions. However, recent developments have created financial pressures that our reserves can no longer absorb.


Like many school districts across Oregon, our district is experiencing significant budget constraints due to rising Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) costs. These costs stem from lower-than-expected returns in the state’s PERS investment accounts and increasing payroll and staffing expenses. We have closely monitored the governor’s proposed budget to better understand our financial outlook. Unfortunately, our rising costs far exceed the governor’s proposed increase in state school funding.
Over the past four years, we intentionally decided to use our financial reserves to enhance programming and provide critical support for our students and community as they recovered from the pandemic’s impacts. This investment was meaningful and necessary, but it has depleted our reserves.


Our top priority remains preserving our students’ academic experiences and well-being. The past decade of increased revenue and reserve funding has allowed us to improve staff-to-student ratios, add student mental health support, and expand services. However, we must take a more critical approach to resource allocation, which will require some difficult but necessary decisions.
We are committed to navigating these financial challenges with transparency, collaboration, and care. Your engagement and input are vital as we move forward. Please stay informed by following the financial discussion at our bimonthly School Board meetings, where we will continue to share updates and explore solutions. Together, we can ensure that every decision reflects our shared commitment to providing the best possible learning experience.

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