Board cuts six days from 2010-11 school calendar

District saves $1 million with cost-cutting measure

By Nancy Townsley

The Forest Grove News-Times, Jul 1, 2010

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The Forest Grove School Board lopped $1 million off expenses by cutting six days from the district calendar next year.

That’s nearly half the $2.5 million the local district needs to pare in order to balance its 2010-11 budget, which will suffer because of Oregon’s own projected $577.1 million state budget shortfall.

The local district has already cut $310,000 in fulltime teaching slots, $140,000 from special education and saved $300,000 by eliminating four new salaried positions from its wish list.

Schools will not operate on Sept. 3, 2010, and March 18, June 10, June 13, June 14 and June 15, 2011. Every day schools are open in Forest Grove costs about $180,000, district leaders have said.

Four of the cut days – June 10, 13, 14 and 15 – were scheduled student days. The final day of school for 2010-11 is now June 8. March 18 was a scheduled conference day, and Sept. 3 was a scheduled in-service day.

Board members approved the revised calendar as part of a budget overhaul that’s hit multiple departments, including music, special education, facilities and technology.

Meanwhile, the district is gearing up to float a $65.3 million construction bond levy request to voters in the November election.

Communications director Connie Potter said she’ll be working hard to explain the levy to district patrons in coming months. The money would rebuild Joseph Gale Elementary School and fund major renovations at Forest Grove High School. It would not cost taxpayers additional money, she said, because an existing bond is due to expire.