Eugene School District 4J

Superintendent Miriam Mickelson has announced the second phase of proposed budget cuts for the coming school year that pauses and scales back numerous pandemic-era programs and initiatives.

“Phase 2” of the superintendent’s recommended reductions addresses district-level programs and staff that provide expanded learning opportunities and professional development for educators. The estimated $18 million in cuts help close a projected $30 million shortfall for the 2026-27 school year. Dr. Mickelson earlier announced a first round of budget cuts in December of $2.3 million that included nonpersonnel reductions, including technology subscriptions, professional development and outside contractors, as well as a restructuring of her executive team. 

These latest cuts continue “our efforts to align our system with the financial reality we are facing while, importantly, protecting direct student services to the greatest extent possible," said Dr. Mickelson, in presenting the reductions to the board at its Jan. 7 special meeting. "The goal is not to simply reduce costs, but to reset and resize our system as responsibly as we can."

The superintendent presented the proposed Phase 2 reductions, scheduled to take effect July 1, at the school board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The school board will vote to approve them on Wednesday, Jan. 14. They are:

• Pause 4J’s teacher mentoring program, with all current mentors returning as classroom teachers. The district will examine options to continue providing mentorship in different and more efficient ways for the future. The program was started in 2020 for new teachers to help them acclimate them to their new career. 
• Reduce the number of teachers on special assignment (TOSAs). TOSAs will continue to serve in roles tied to curriculum adoption and core subject areas. TOSAs are licensed educators who coordinate educational programs and initiatives for the district rather than teach in a classroom. 
• Reduce the number of instructional coaches. Instructional coaches provide professional development to established teachers, helping them improve their classroom instruction and management.
• Pause 4J’s Grow Your Own program, which was started in 2020 and aims to diversify the educator workforce at 4J with a focus on recruitment, preparation and retention. Current scholars in the program next year will continue to receive tuition assistance for the 2026-2027 school year. 
• Ending the ombuds program that assists families, employees and other members of the 4J community in resolving conflicts on their own through coaching, providing resources and exploring options.
• Closing Eugene Online Academy for middle schoolers and scaling back high school. The academy, which enrolls about 110 students total, combines virtual instruction and in-person support from licensed teachers to offer students an alternative to a traditional classroom setting. It launched in 2019 for high school, expanded to middle school later that school year, and expanded again for elementary school students at the start of the 2020-21 school year. 4J ended the elementary-level academy last year.
• Scale back BEST, Extended Day and summer programs:
• BEST will continue to operate with federal grant dollars only; 4J will no longer subsidize the program with local operating dollars. Since 2000, the after-school program has provided underserved students with academic support and enrichment activities in the arts, sciences, recreation and fitness. It serves about 350 students at five elementary schools and one middle school.
• The Extended Day program is offered to juniors and seniors to earn credits to graduate, 
• Summer programs have offered learning enrichment for 4J students. The specific details of these budget reductions will be announced later this year.
• Consolidating the Center for Applied Learning and Community Involvement (CALCI), 4J’s career and technical education hub located in downtown Eugene, into existing CTE programs at designated high schools. Future Build (construction trades) will be hosted at North Eugene; Creative Currents (digital design and marketing) will be hosted at Sheldon; and HumaniTech (engineering and aviation) will be hosted at South Eugene.
• Pausing the AVID elective at 4J middle and elementary schools. AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, promotes college and career readiness by focusing on academic support and skill development. The high school AVID elective will continue to be offered.
• Reduce the local subsidy 4J has provided for its school meals program. Students will still receive free meals, but the district’s kitchen staffing will change and cut back its made-from-scratch options. 
• Pausing the in-housing catering service that the district started in fall 2024.
• Consolidating administrative and front-office staffs for Kennedy Middle School and Hé Lín Chinese Immersion Elementary School, which are co-located in the same school building

Dr. Mickelson will present on Wednesday, Jan. 21, her recommendations for a final round of budget reductions impacting school-based licensed and classified staff, as well as a possible adjustment to the middle school schedule.  Additionally, she will announce her recommendation for any school closures or relocations. The school board is scheduled to vote to approve those changes on Wednesday, Feb. 4.

The budget shortfall is a result of 4J facing a convergence of challenges, similar to other K-12 school districts in Oregon and across the nation: a steady decline in birth rates and student enrollment, increasing costs tied to employee compensation, and the end of federal COVID relief funding. The district must reduce its spending to balance its budget and ensure the long-term stability of essential instructional services and programs for all students.

Learn More

2026-27 Budget Planning