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 Superintendent Report: Eagle Point School District

March 20, 2024

Find the most recent EPSD9 Community Newsletter HERE!

2024-2025 Budget Planning:

School districts across Oregon are making budget reductions to adjust for the end of ESSER funding, reduced enrollment, and increased costs. Although we are in a better position than many other school districts in Oregon, Eagle Point School District 9 is facing these same issues. To address this, we are proactively planning for next year’s budget by anticipating a decline in revenue and an increase in costs.

Over the past four years, we have received significant ESSER funding of just over $14 million through three different ESSER grants. We have successfully performed many capital projects and facility upgrades with this funding including roofing replacements, a 6-classroom addition at TRE, and substantial HVAC system improvements in progress at EPHS. We have deliberately spent the majority of our ESSER funding on capital projects rather than what we knew would be short-term staffing. However, some of the items funded by ESSER these past four years will now have to be discontinued or shifted to the School District’s General Fund.

Additionally, we are analyzing the financial effects of SB489 which was recently passed by the State Legislature to provide unemployment benefits to school district 10-month Classified employees. We anticipate this additional cost will be above $700 thousand.

Our preliminary projection of 2024-25 revenues and expenditures shows a General Fund budget shortfall of just over $2 million. This shortfall includes 1:1 student iPad renewal, those (limited) staff positions currently funded by ESSER, SB489 Classified employee unemployment changes, and decreasing student enrollment. Please note, while $2 million is a large dollar amount, it equals approximately 3.4% of our General Fund budget.

The District leadership team believes we can address this budget shortage through grant changes, staff realignments, cost deferrals, and staff attrition. We do not anticipate implementing a Reduction in Force (RIF). We expect to have a more complete budget plan developed in the next several weeks and will keep staff informed of the plan as we develop it.

Summer School:

EPSD9 is proud that we continued to provide summer school through COVID and especially last year when outside funding was not available. EPSD9 was one of the few school districts that persevered through the summer of 2023 using general funds. This year, I am happy to announce, EPSD9 has been selected as one of the school districts that qualify for state funding. This grant is for a significant amount of $953,000.00. Planning for this summer’s programs is underway.

New Strategic Plan:

EPSD9 is in the process of creating a new strategic plan to guide its work into the coming years. Our current Strategic Plan was approved at the beginning of the 2021 academic year and will end this coming June. It is our intent to have a new plan in place and actively being worked on by the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

Currently, we have employee teams working on reviewing our old priorities, goals, and action plans. These teams will also create a first draft of the new plan. They will come together in April to review each team's work and to prepare for a presentation to the Board in May.

I would like to thank and recognize the following people who have joined the project:

Food Services Contract and REQUEST FOR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS:

Eagle Point School District 9 is coming to the end of its service contract with Sodexo, the company that provides the District with its food services. The current contract will end this coming summer and EPSD9 will need a new one for the coming school year.

The District has recently released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for food services providers who may wish to conduct our food services in the future. To help EPSD9 decide which company will best meet the needs of the District, we will be forming a team to review the proposals, food and services of each of the bidders. The District would like to invite two to three members of the community that are interested in this effort to be a part of the review team.  If you are interested please feel free to reach out to myself at (kovacha@eaglepnt.k12.or.us) or Finance Director Nick Hogan at hogann@eaglepnt.k12.or.us if you are interested in being a part of the review.

K-Bar Agricultural Learning Center:

Mark your calendars for the grand opening and celebration of the K-Bar Agricultural Learning Center on April 25th from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. At the event, we will be holding a jackpot stock show, showing some of the instruction and activities taking place in our classes, and recognizing our donors. EPSD9 is grateful for the contributions given to make this project a reality.

An overview of the cost of the project is as follows:

Community Donations = $1.6 million

State Grants = $875,000

School District Funds - $125,000

D9 Foundation:

The D9 Foundation is a non-profit all-volunteer organization made up of Eagle Point Alumni and community members. It is dedicated to providing college scholarships for every Eagle Point graduate. Fundraising is vitally important to continuing to be able to award scholarships to our students. Please consider supporting the D9 Foundation. If you would like to volunteer or join the Foundation please reach out here. Please join us!

Andy Kovach
Superintendent
541-830-6563