Bill ensuring funding for wildfire affected schools, one step closer to passing

SALEM, Ore. — A bill to ensure funding for school districts impacted by wildfires is one step closer to passing in the Oregon house. House Bill 4026 passed out of the Revenue Committee on Tuesday. It was introduced by Ashland Representative Pam Marsh, who has seen first-hand how devastating a wildfire can be for students.

Marsh says Oregon’s funding formula is based on student attendance numbers. Representative Marsh says because of this, the Phoenix-Talent School District and three others have lost funding. “If the state can come in and support them in that effort, by just stabilizing their budget for a few years, it’s incumbent upon us to do so,” said Rep. Marsh.

The bill will transfer $25 million dollars from the Student Success Act’s statewide education initiatives account to pay for grants to impacted districts for four years. It now heads to the joint committee on ways and means and subcommittee on education.