Newberg SD 29J finance advisory committee affirms citizen appointees, maps oversight plan amid projected deficits

NEWBERG, Ore. — The Newberg School District 29J Board of Directors’ Finance Advisory Committee on Sept. 26 affirmed community members to the panel, reviewed recent financial updates that show a multi-million-dollar shortfall in prior projections, and set a schedule for staff briefings and report formats to give the committee and board more timely budget oversight.

Committee members voted to approve minutes by voice vote, and the group discussed affirming five appointees — Derek Duff, Mark Anthony, Gay Gertz, Michelle Morrison and Philip Van Cleave — while confirming Jared Isaacson’s appointment in absentia. The committee chair said the board recently expanded citizen membership on the panel from three to six, giving the group “some wiggle room” to broaden its oversight.

Why it matters: The committee is charged with continuing work started by the budget committee and providing an ongoing review of enrollment-based state funding, personnel and other budget drivers. Committee members repeatedly pressed for clearer, summarized financial reports and a predictable meeting cadence so they can identify deviations from the adopted budget and offer informed recommendations to the board.

At the meeting, a slide from June 2024 was discussed showing a roughly $1.7 million shortfall for the 2023–24 fiscal year and a projected roughly $2 million shortfall for the current year prior to later staff adjustments. A committee member sought clarification about how that projection related to earlier cuts: “we did make reductions, but then that put us at balanced budget,” another member said, asking staff to explain how the district’s summer staffing and other reductions changed the outlook.

Committee members asked that Gayellen Jacobson, the district’s finance lead, attend a future meeting to walk through the adopted budget, the reductions made over the summer, and the mechanics of reconciliation with state school fund estimates. Members also asked staff to prepare more accessible monthly or quarterly summaries that show high-level budget categories, encumbrances and percent spent — materials that could be simplified into community-facing dashboards.

Other topics on the committee’s list included the construction excise tax (CET) and the district’s long-range facilities plan. Members asked the board or staff to share the facilities plan so the committee can understand which capital projects CET revenue will support and how future residential construction on Newberg’s north side could affect CET receipts.

The committee discussed federal ESSER funds and deadlines for spending, special education cost caps and high-cost disability reimbursement rates, and a recommendation (already implemented in the current budget according to members) to remove cabinet-level positions from Nutrition Services charges. Members also asked for updates on transportation-contract efficiency, PERS bond debt-service planning and whether indirect rates charged to federal grants might be a sustainable revenue offset.

Members sought an update on the forensic audit; board representatives said the audit contractor likely will not provide interim public updates until the review is further along. The committee agreed to a schedule of follow-ups and tutorials: a subgroup will meet with Jacobson to propose report samples and formats, and the full committee set meetings for Oct. 16 and Nov. 6 to review those materials and, where possible, prior-month financials (staff cautioned that month-end closings mean reports may be a month behind).

The meeting closed with routine housekeeping — issuance of district email addresses for committee members and name placards — and confirmation the group will return in mid-October with report proposals and a plan for continuing oversight.

Next steps: Michelle Morrison and another committee member will meet with Gayellen Jacobson to prepare report examples and timing; the full committee will reconvene on Oct. 16 to review those proposals and November 6 for continuing oversight.