Your Monday evening update on Salem news

Good evening, Salem.

The Salem-Keizer School District’s budget committee may vote tonight on a proposed $1.1 billion budget that would add several dozen new employees in special education and student behavior, even amid a bleak long-term financial forecast.

Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon

So far, the budget is unchanged from what Superintendent Andrea Castañeda proposed May 6. At a meeting last week, school board member Krissy Hudson suggested adding seven reading specialists to elementary schools.

She suggested cuts in several areas to pay for the new jobs, including the district’s agreement with Cherriots to fund free bus passes for students, eliminating the district equity office and then cutting some new administrative positions.

That suggestion failed with the support of only four of the committee’s 14 members. No other changes have been proposed during discussions, though the committee could on Monday vote to amend the budget or seek more information or time.

If the committee votes tonight, the budget isn’t final. The school board will still formally vote on adoption in June. But any nitty-gritty changes to the document are usually hashed out in the committee, which includes all school board members.

You can watch the meeting here in English or Spanish starting at 6 p.m.

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Liberal Oregon and Washington vowed to pioneer green energy. Almost every other state is beating them.

Campus safety worker uses Connect 4 to help students at Leslie, South open up

Oregon overdose deaths have gone down, but they’re still high

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