PPS leadership deeply understands the impact that budget reductions have on our schools and students, and our top priority is to preserve services that have the greatest impact on students’ personal and academic success.

Decisions have been made with great care, guided by community feedback, enrollment trends, revenue projections, and the critical need to protect programs that improve student outcomes and student supports.

Our leadership team carefully reviewed several scenarios before settling on the preliminary plan, always mindful of the challenges every cut presents. Following the release of our preliminary plan, community and principal feedback was key in further understanding impacts and refining the decisions.

We are hopeful that by making these difficult but thoughtful decisions now, we can build a more sustainable future for our schools so that every student has the opportunities they deserve to succeed.

Pictured: One of PPS' Budget Engagement meetings in February 2025.

To close the $40 million budget gap, we’re facing the difficult reality of making reductions across both district-wide and school-based operations. Our goal is to prioritize keeping support for students and classrooms as strong as possible, but these cuts are necessary to balance our budget. Here's what’s being considered so far:

Central Office Budget Cuts: After making deep cuts to the district budget last year, we are looking at further reductions in administrative costs, contracts, and operational expenses to ensure more resources are directed to support our schools.

School-Based Cuts: There may be reductions in staffing, support services, and extracurricular programs. We are doing everything we can to minimize impacts on classroom instruction, but some services at the school level may be affected.

We understand the weight of these changes, and we're committed to keeping the focus on what matters most—our students and their education. As we move forward, we’ll continue to keep our community informed and involved in the process, working to maintain a high-quality education for every student.

We encourage you to visit our budget engagement event page, where you'll find details about past and upcoming events related to the 2025-26 budget. This is a great way to stay up to date on how decisions are being made and how you can participate.

Additionally, you can share your thoughts directly by filling out our Budget Engagement Feedback Form, where we welcome input on the current budget reduction recommendations. Your feedback is vital as we work together to shape the future of our schools.

Click the image to open the Budget Engagement Feedback Form

Yes, the Central Office will not be exempt from budget reductions.

Our preliminary budget plan included a $12 million reduction to the Central Office. This preliminary plan will be refined through the budget process with more information shared in the formal release of the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget.

Over the past few years, PPS has made strategic reductions to Central Office costs, all while working to protect funding for our classrooms:

• • 2022-23: $30 million in cuts to Central Office budgets to ensure continued funding for schools.

  • 2023-24: A hiring freeze for non-teaching positions and $10 million in cuts to non-personnel expenses.

  • 2024-25: An additional $15 million reduction in Central Office services and outside contracts.

While the Central Office is not immune to reductions, the services it provides—including staff support, instructional resources, security, facilities and custodial operations, Human Resources, payroll, communications, and technology—are essential to keeping our schools running smoothly. 

In 2022-23 through the current school year, 2024-25, Central Office budget cuts have accounted for 80% of total budget reductions. This is a significantly higher proportion compared to cuts at the school level. Further reductions to these services could impact both school operations and the support we offer to schools.

With declining enrollment and the current $40 million budget gap, we simply do not have the funds to maintain current levels and are unfortunately forced to reduce staffing as part of spending within our means. 

We have worked closely with our demographer and principals to ensure that staffing levels are aligned with actual student enrollment, and we are committed to maintaining the highest possible quality of education while trying to minimize any disruption to the learning environment.

A summary of preliminary reductions has been shared in community engagements and with our Board of Education. The district shared budget development updates with the Board of Education and communities in work sessions on March 4 and will do so again on March 18. Stay tuned for more information.

When the Superintendent releases her Proposed Budget in April, we will share more information about school and program impacts.

For additional context, current year budget details are available in the 2024-25 Adopted Budget and Individual School Reports. 

At PPS, we are deeply committed to supporting all of our students, including those in specialized programs. We remain dedicated to ensuring that students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and state-mandated supports are fully met.

Next year, we expect an increase in our special education population, and as a result, we are planning to increase special education staff to better support these students. It's important to note that students with disabilities are supported not only by special education staff but by staff members across the district. 

Despite these challenges, we are actively seeking external resources, such as grant funding, to maintain critical services for vulnerable students, including Multilingual Learners and students in specialized programs.

We also want to highlight that special education is significantly underfunded at the state level. As we work to increase our staffing to meet the growing needs of our students, it's vital that we advocate for additional special education funding in Oregon. With a strong, united voice across the state, we can advocate for the necessary changes to ensure our students receive the support they deserve.

PPS is committed to advocating for increased education funding at the state level, and we encourage our educators, families, and the community to join us in this effort. Legislative action and community support are essential for securing the additional resources our schools need.

• • PPS is actively engaging with lawmakers to push for increased funding for education.

  • We encourage educators, families, and community members to get involved in advocacy efforts to amplify our collective voice.

  • Challenges related to state funding impact the financial planning and resources available to our district, making it crucial to advocate for change.

You can find resources and more information on how to get involved in advocacy efforts through our Advocacy Toolkit.

We hosted a 1-hour Advocacy 101 class in February, and we invite you to watch our Advocacy 101 video and use the resources we’ve provided.  

Together, we can make a difference and ensure our students and educators receive the support they deserve.

Click here to open our Advocacy Night Training on our YouTube channel.

We are actively tracking shifts at the federal level and have been hearing from state officials and those closely connected to the federal government that there may be a 25% reduction in Title I funding. This would have a direct impact on schools, specifically affecting intervention staffing and student support services. Additionally, Title II and Title III funding, which support professional learning and migrant education, could also see cuts.

While we’re planning for these reductions, those decisions are not finalized, and it’s difficult to fully anticipate the extent of the impact without that clarity. We’ve already started early planning, particularly for the potential reduction in Title I funding, and will continue to share updates with you as soon as we have more information. We understand how concerning this uncertainty can be, but please know we are actively engaging in this process and will keep our community informed every step of the way.

We are committed to navigating these changes thoughtfully, with a focus on minimizing the impact on our students and staff, and ensuring we have the necessary support to continue serving all our learners.

Principals are critical decision-makers tasked with creating their school’s budget and staffing plan. Connect with your building leader to share your priorities and insights.