Grants Pass, Ore. — The Grants Pass School District is searching for ways to fill financial gaps after its school bond failed at the polls back in May.
The Grants Pass Budget Committee and school board met this evening to look at the proposed budget for next school year.
The district is facing a money shortage as the state is taking away some funding.
That’s because the federal government gives more money to regions with more students in poverty, and the number of students in poverty in Southern Oregon has decreased.
Therefore, the district will lose about $1.2 million dollars in funding.
Without any other way to generate revenue, the school board is considering a cut to the business program.
The director of business services says business classes have had a decline in enrollment for many years.
“We are really big on not cutting programs and so eliminating a program like the business program — this would be the first time in probably 25 years that the board’s had to look at doing any program reductions,” Director of Business Services Sherry Ely said.
Several Grants Pass residents spoke out against the proposal to take away the business classes.
In response. the budget committee and school board are taking some time to consider other options.
Those options include re-purposing the program, looking at Measure 98 for funding, and not expanding the marshal program.
The school board is scheduled to make a final decision on the proposed budget June 26th.
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