Salem-Keizer superintendent announces $71 million in recommended cuts, more than 400 positions affected

Superintendent Andrea Castan announced that Salem-Keizer School District (SD 24J) has released recommendations for roughly $71 million in reductions for the next school year, and said the proposals would affect schools and classrooms as well as district administration. "We released information about $71 million in total recommended reductions for the next school year," Castan said.

The district combined a second round of recommendations with an earlier $31 million package announced in December, bringing the total to about $71 million, the superintendent said. She told the community the reductions could not be achieved without affecting schools and that the plan includes personnel changes: "in total we're reducing over 400 positions."

Castan said the district prioritized protecting several programs where possible, listing dual-language programs, career and technical education, music and fine arts, athletics, elementary class ratios, school safety and advanced high school course offerings. She also said the district sought to limit cuts to core instruction and mental and behavioral health services while acknowledging those areas could not be fully shielded.

The superintendent described months of community outreach and planning that preceded the recommendations, saying the district sought public input and that nearly 6,000 people had shared opinions since October. To allow time for planning, she said board meetings are scheduled for April 15 and 16, and the district is inviting the public to review board materials and sign up for public comment on April 16. "We'll ask the board to take action so that we can begin our necessary staff reductions," Castan said; the transcript records the district's intent to seek board approval but does not record a board vote.

Castan said the district is coordinating with its licensed association to cancel school on May 17 so staff meetings can be held and affected employees can be notified about reductions and any associated reassignments. She said the district will release more information about the reductions, the process and their impact over the coming month.

Castan closed by urging collective advocacy for stable, adequate state funding for Oregon students and staff and asked the community to join the district in that effort. The district did not identify specific funding sources or list the job titles included in the reductions in the released statement; those details were described as forthcoming.