Facility rentals, CTEC programs among latest Salem-Keizer Public Schools budget cut targets
Salem-Keizer Public Schools Superintendent Andrea Castañeda is recommending the district should increase the fees the community pays to use school facilities; spend less on school furniture and playground improvements; and delay a planned program expansion at the district’s Career Technical Education Center.
The district also should stop building a cushion in its Public Employee Retirement System debt fund, Castañeda said in a video released Thursday evening.
The Thursday announcement was the second of three Castañeda is making detailing her recommendations for budget cuts. It follows a similar announcement made Wednesday.
It’s unclear how much money each of the four proposals announced Thursday will save, although Castañeda said they make up $19 million in total.
District officials did not immediately respond to the Statesman Journal’s questions early Friday about the second round of proposed cuts. Those included questions about how much the facility rental rate would increase, which specific CTEC program expansions would be postponed and how big the PERS fund cushion currently is.
Castañeda has said she won’t release full details about the cuts until the Salem-Keizer School Board meeting on Dec. 12.
The proposed cuts announced Wednesday, which total $7 million, include a salary freeze for senior leaders, reducing spending on technology, suspending spending on vehicles and reducing conference travel for some programs.
Castañeda said she will make another announcement, recommending cuts totaling about $4 million, sometime next week.
She expects to announce another round of cuts, totaling as much as $40 million, in late winter or early spring.
Castañeda previously has said the district’s expected budget shortfall is due to decreasing enrollment, increases in staff and the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds.
On Wednesday, she also attributed part of the gap to problems with Oregon’s antiquated public school funding system, echoing recent complaints made by Portland Public Schools officials and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.
Tracy Loew covers education at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips: tloew@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Salem-Keizer schools target facility rentals, CTEC program cuts
