The Battle Ground School District Board of Directors recently approved eliminating 137.2 staff positions after voters rejected a replacement levy for the third time in a row. The reductions are necessary to address a $20 million budget shortfall following the failed levy in February.
On April 27, the board of directors unanimously approved a resolution to reduce staffing for the 2026–27 school year. District officials said more cuts to programs, services and operations are likely as the budget process continues.
The latest reductions follow two failed levy attempts in 2025 and another in February. Last year, the district cut $14 million from its budget, eliminating middle school sports, reducing student services and cutting staff.
Superintendent Shelly Whitten said the district’s financial situation is directly tied to those repeated failures.
“What I want to just say clearly is that those are people … those are individuals in our community that will be without employment, those are individuals that were in our buildings making a difference for kids,” Whitten said while fighting tears.
With 85% of the budget dedicated to staffing, district officials said layoffs are unavoidable. The district plans to cut 18% of district administrators, 15% of building administrators, 9% of classified and support staff and 8% of administrative support and certificated teaching staff, totaling 137.2 positions for the 2026-27 school year.
Over two years, the district will lose more than 268 positions, roughly 16% of its workforce.
Whitten said the impacts will extend beyond staffing into student outcomes and community readiness.
“Impact on basic education will have lasting impacts for our students and our community around career readiness and the ability for our students to enter and be a part of our community,” Whitten said.
In addition to staffing cuts, Whitten outlined other possible reductions to close the remaining budget gap. These include a 34.5% cut to sports and extracurricular funding, eliminating middle school yearbooks and activities budgets, raising sports participation fees, reducing busing for athletics, and removing the ASPIRE magnet program at the primary level. The program would continue for grades five through eight.
Other cost-saving measures include furlough days for employees and salary freezes for administrators and support staff. Class sizes are expected to increase, with fewer course offerings, reduced library staffing and less individualized support for students. More information is available at battlegroundps.org/article/2843635.
District leaders said they prioritized student safety, core academics and support for vulnerable students while making cuts, aiming to keep as many programs as possible. Despite the scale of the reductions, Whitten said the district remains focused on providing a supportive learning environment.
“I want you to know that our goal is to continue to remain focused on serving our students in the best way possible and to make sure that the environment next year is supportive for their learning,” Whitten said.
Board Director Lorri Sibley expressed interest in another levy attempt. The district can propose one more before the end of the year, but it would not prevent the staffing reductions required for the next school year.
Public comment reflected concern from community members, including Ian Kreiner, who spoke about potential impacts to programs such as the Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education (CASEE).
“CASEE is a small program, and any cuts to the staff has a disproportionate and outsized effect on the safety of these students,” he said. “There are only seven staff for 120 students at CASEE. You cut one of those, and there is a huge impact to the amount of oversight that they can have to the students and to outside threats out on the 80-acre campus.”
Longtime resident John Paulos, caring for two grandchildren learning in the district, also addressed the board, urging stronger communication with voters ahead of future levy attempts.
“We have 30% that will always vote no, 30% that will always vote yes and we’ve got to work on the (other) 40% that don’t know what they’re going to do for sure,” he said, pointing to a cardboard sign.
Paulos also criticized mailers sent to voters before the February and April 2025 levy attempts. Whitten previously told The Reflector that the mailers created confusion and frustration for the district, noting several claims made were inaccurate or misleading.
The mailers were noted as paid for by the Clark County Republican Party and the Washington State Republican Party. Jim Walsh, the chair of the Washington State Republican Party, denied any involvement in the mailers. The Clark County Republican Party did not respond despite multiple requests for comment.
The Reflector obtained documents related to campaign mailers referenced during public comment and interviewed individuals involved. Readers can learn more by reading this article.
