Oregon Governor Tina Kotek hosted a signing ceremony for House Bill 4082, which legislators passed and the Governor signed this year to provide $30 million in state funding for summer learning opportunities across Oregon. Parents and taxpayers have a right to question what they can expect.

In 2016, voters passed Measure 99 establishing the “Outdoor School Education Fund” sourced from state lottery proceeds to support outdoor school programs. The fund supports outdoor school programs, focusing on the environment, natural resources, economic development, and related careers.

In 2021, Governor Brown announced $250 million federal funds for a Summer Learning and Child Care Package to address the education gap they experienced from the pandemic.

In 2022, the Biden administration made summer learning a top strategy for school districts. Oregon received $680 million through the Coronavirus Local Recovery Fund from the $1.1 billion total received from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act. The Future Ed analysis found that summer learning and afterschool programs make up nearly a quarter of the academic recovery investments. President Biden instructed schools to use the $122 billion in ARP funds to provide high-quality tutoring, summer learning and enrichment, and afterschool programs that are proven pathways to helping students make up for lost learning time and succeed in school and in life.

HB 4082 adds another $30 million to summer programs that, so far, haven’t produced academic results. The funding means an estimated 48,000 students out of 574,799 students across Oregon will benefit from this summer learning program.

The bill also creates a workgroup to develop recommendations for sustainable long-term funding for summer. What about developing a program with accountability that produces results? What better use for the lottery funds already approved?

Governor Kotek said, “Our goals must be student-centered to reduce opportunity gaps for historically underserved students and raise the bar on outcomes for all students. And we have to help families know their children have a safe, welcoming place to learn during the summer months and after school.”

“In Oregon, summer is another season for learning,” said Dr. Charlene Williams, director of the Oregon Department of Education. “This summer, students should grab their notebooks, pens, curiosity and hiking shoes and get ready for a summer of learning and adventure. Summer learning is not summer school. In Oregon, it's a season of creative thinking, problem solving and engaging, hands-on learning.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Additionally, Governor Kotek gave an update on the commitment she made to address core issues that educators have raised about the funding necessary to improve outcomes for students across Oregon. Governor Kotek said her office and the Oregon Department of Education are working on:

• Updating the calculation of current service level for the State School Fund, starting with a series of roundtable discussions about education funding and learning outcomes;
• Reviewing the definition of education accountability;
• Strengthening financial transparency so that district budget information is more accessible and easier to understand for the public; and
• Developing long-term approaches for summer and afterschool learning and early literacy.

“Our basic approach to funding K-12 education is more than 30 years old,” Governor Kotek said. “It’s time to review and update.” Is she trying to get ahead of the school choice popularity? Parents and taxpayers want to see results and funding isn't the issue.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-04-19 22:38:37

Last Update: 2024-04-19 23:03:00