Far from certain.
    The phrase of our age well sums up the State of Oregon revenue forecasts as well as the prospect of cutting of school days in Hood River County.
    Reducing days in 2008-09 remains a possibility in the Hood River County School District, but which days, and how many, remain major unknowns – if it happens at all.

Meanwhile, on Friday Gov. Ted Kulongoski predicted “severe cuts” to schools and other government agencies, upon the issuance of the March budget forecast.

“The legislature must act on these reductions immediately so that we can turn our focus to the real crisis before us — the 2009-11 biennium” stated Kulongoski in a statement issued Friday.

Kulongoski said that if an agreement is not reached on the proposed reductions for the 2007-09 budget by March 2, “I will be left with the only legal option available to me — across-the-board cuts that will close schools weeks early and make irreversible cuts to public safety.”

Shortfalls for the 2009-11 biennium remain an even greater uncertainty, other than the certainty that they will be severe.

“The reductions required will challenge the legislature to prioritize the core serves performed by government,” Kulongoski said.

Hood River County School District has already made $430,000 in cuts this school year following the governor’s order in December 2008. Most of those came in reduced transportation expenses, supplies and equipment and administrative costs, including travel.

“We are considering ways to reduce our personnel costs,” said Superintendent Pat Evenson-Brady. Virtually any such savings must come with the approval of the classified and certified unions.

With the governor taking a five percent pay cut, along with other state government heads, and folks in the private sector already taking cuts in paid days, or working days without pay, there is a dawning set of examples of sacrifice in both the private and public sector.

The school employee unions have been asked in the past to make sacrifices, such as foregoing cost of living increases, and the need to do so again is at hand.

As Evenson-Brady put it, “We look for employees to step up to the plate in one way or another. If we can contain inflationary growth of salaries and benefits we will certainly pursue that with all employee groups.”

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This is a good time to contact your local and state leaders about how government should respond to the economic crisis and prioritize spending.