Philomath School Board adopts 2026–27 budget and tax rates, approves $1M in cuts

The Philomath School District Board of Directors adopted its fiscal year 2026–27 budget and set local tax rates after a brief public hearing that drew no comments.

At the budget hearing, the board moved to adopt Resolution 2526-02, which lays out the district appropriations for the coming fiscal year, and Resolution 2526-03, which sets the local-option levy and total assessment for bond debt service. Both motions were seconded and passed by unanimous votes of the four members present; board member Ryan was not available for the meeting.

Board members emphasized that the approved budget included roughly $1 million in reductions. “We did have to cut out over right around a million dollars,” the chair said, and described most reductions as achieved through staff attrition, particularly on the instructional assistant side, as well as a reduced transfer to reserves.

The board noted that the budget was reviewed in multiple budget committee meetings prior to adoption. The chair said the process included trade-offs intended to preserve classroom instruction while addressing a tightening fund balance; the business manager later said final year-end accounting will determine the district’s exact ending fund balance.

The board also reminded community members that some cuts were the result of staffing departures and that next year could be more challenging depending on state funding decisions and enrollment trends.

What’s next: The district will proceed with the adopted appropriations and tax-rate settings for 2026–27; administrators said they will continue monitoring year-end transactions and report back to the board as the district closes the fiscal year.