Ashland School Board May Cut the Number of School Days

ASHLAND, Ore. — The Ashland School Board may decide to cut the number of school days next year in an innovative move to curb expenditure.

Superintendent Addresses Parents and Staff About Budgetary Woes

Following a series of meetings with parents and school staff organized by school district superintendent Joseph Hattrick, it was revealed that the current school year is costing $1 million more than available funds.

Ashland Appointed More Teachers While Enrollments Decreased

One of the main contributors to the school board deficit is that Ashland schools have increased the number of teachers since the pandemic while registering 300 fewer student enrollments.

Hattrick says the school board will investigate ways to cut next year’s expenditure by $2.2 million to provide Ashland with a financial cushion.

Some Ashland schools operate more days than is required by the school board calendar, and Hattrick says that each scholastic day costs the school district $150,000.

Hattrick, who took over as the Ashland School District superintendent in July, says he wants to end the ongoing budget deficit and achieve a more sustainable financial path.

Other cost-cutting solutions already implemented include removing district credit cards used to buy supplies and evaluating the need to replace a staff member after a resignation.

Hattrick says the school district does not have sufficient information to determine how Governor Tina Kotek’s increased school budget will affect Ashland’s budgetary woes. The governor has increased the budget from $10.2 billion to $11.4 billion.

The Ashland School Board will meet on December 12 to discuss budget-cutting proposals, such as reducing the number of school days.