Increase in school budgets is hurt by PERS costs

PENDLETON – Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek is proposing $11.3 billion for K-12 public education in the coming biennium. For the two-year period that began in 2023, funding was at $10.2 billion. Pendleton School Superintendent Kevin Headings says that’s not the big boost it seems to be due to the big increase in the cost of the Public Employees Retirement System.

“That went up quite a bit,” he said. “In Pendleton, it’s between 10 and 15 percent now. Of that $11.3 billion, right away you can take off 15 percent. So, basically it’s like we’re having to make cuts right away. To Pendleton, that’s $7 million.”

He said to the Pendleton School District it amounts to receiving the same amount as it received two years ago.

“We’re going to be operating as-is,” he said. The budget figure set by the governor is only recommended. The Oregon Legislature will determine the final figure. It is then divided among Oregon’s 193 school districts based on student population and adjusted for local revenue levels.

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