Restores full school year, maintains class sizes, expands counseling support, prepares for future
The Eugene School Board has adopted a school district budget for 2016–17 that:
- Restores a full school year, the first since 2008–09
- Stabilizes class sizes, adding teaching staff to maintain ratios with increased student enrollment, and setting aside more than $1 million for additional staffing to balance oversized classes in the fall
- Provides counselors at every elementary school to support the mental health and support needs of our youngest students (addition of 5.4 FTE)
- Expands music and physical education for elementary students and preparation time for elementary teachers
- Plans ahead to balance growing costs and projected deficits in future years
The general fund budget is $179.2 million. Improving economic conditions will help the district strengthen educational services and prepare for future years with a sustainable, balanced and fiscally responsible spending plan focused on the classroom and supports for students.
“Our work as a school district is all about doing what’s best for kids, and this budget reflects that,” said Superintendent Gustavo Balderas. “The district’s 2016–17 budget uses the slowly improving resources we have available to stabilize the foundation of education, make some modest and sustainable investments to strengthen it, and provide for stability in the years ahead.”
The district’s budget committee approved the budget on May 16. The school board held a public hearing on the budget on June 1 before voting to adopt it on June 14.
The full budget document is available at www.4j.lane.edu/finance/docs.
