Town halls winding down as budget road show begins gearing up

With the impending release of the Ways and Means co-chairs’ budget proposal, we added messaging to our lobby days and upcoming town halls. We are trying to send a message about the hardship that will be created if the proposed base budget does not provide for districts' current service levels. Although we will continue to emphasize securing new revenue, we want to be clear about the budgeting and staffing disruptions local districts face when they cannot count on an adequate starting number.

Our lobby days continue to bring education voices into the Capitol. Last week we had 40 attendees who held over a dozen meetings with legislators – including visits to the office of every member of the Ways and Means Committee. Our town hall program was in Coos Bay on Saturday, and we will finish our tour Wednesday, March 6, in Corvallis.

With our town halls winding down, we'll be encouraging people to attend the upcoming Ways and Means Committee road tour. The first one is in Coos Bay on Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m. at Marshfield High School. The second meeting is in Pendleton on Friday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. at Blue Mountain Community College. Visit the Oregonians for Student Success website to learn more!

- OSBA