Washougal athletic programs may come under review

Changes could be coming to the Washougal School District’s athletic programs.

District leaders said this week that they have no plans to eliminate any of Washougal’s middle or high school sports teams, but a document presented to the Washougal School Board earlier this month suggests the district may be considering making some adjustments.

The document, titled “Modified Educational Plan,” states that “the superintendent is further directed to identify and bring forward to the board, for future action, proposed reductions to athletic and (extracurricular) programs.”

Washougal schools superintendent Aaron Hansen said the district, which is facing $1.5 million in budget cuts ahead of the 2025-2026 school year, plans to bring all of its athletic programs and extracurricular activities back next year.

“Just like we do each year, we will align these programs with the actual turnout for each sport, club or activity,” Hansen said. “The draft resolution provides flexibility for the district to work with the school board in the event there are other impacts on the budget.”

Hansen said inflation, employee contract negotiations, state legislative impacts and “quite a bit of uncertainty about future cost escalations due to tariffs” all play into the school district’s budget decisions.

Washougal High School athletic director Brian Wilde said he recognizes all of the school’s programs may “come under financial review” as the district attempts to balance its budget.

“We are incredibly fortunate to have a board, superintendent and community that deeply values and supports the positive impact that activities and athletics have on our youth,” Wilde said. He added that the school district plans to consider several aspects of its athletics departments, including transportation, staffing, facilities and participation fees, in its cost-cutting efforts. But he added that he does not anticipate any teams or programs being eliminated in the near future.

An education and operations levy, approved by voters in 2023, provides the majority of the funding for the district’s sports programs and extracurricular activities. The district projected that the levy would collect $9.5 million in 2024, $10.5 million in 2025 and $11.5 million in 2026, but so far, it hasn’t received all of its allotted funds due to the levy’s per-pupil cap.

“Washougal voters approved a levy amount that is beyond what the district can legally collect, so the district must ‘roll back’ the levy amount each year,” said Les Brown, the district’s director of communications, technology and operations. “In tax year 2024, the levy rollback was anticipated to be $700,000. In tax year 2025, it increased to $1.6 million. In tax year 2026, the roll back is anticipated to increase again, to almost $2.7 million.”

The district is projecting a 4 percent decline in student enrollment next year. According to the district, more than 400 students have participated in high school sports, and its middle school programs have drawn more than 500 participants during the current school year.

“The primary decision around how many athletic teams and how much staffing is needed will be determined based on the number of students who turn out for each sport,” Brown said. “Our athletic directors will work closely with the finance team to plan for staffing and program budgets that ensure students have opportunities to participate with appropriate levels of staffing.”

Results from student surveys indicate a desire for the district to add sports, such as lacrosse or flag football, which would require new playing surfaces, according to Wilde.

“At Washougal High School, we have one field that services unified soccer, boys soccer, girls soccer, football (and) track and field,” Wilde told school board members during their April 8 board meeting. “Trying to navigate or splice time for lacrosse or flag football or other sports is difficult with the number of fields that we have.”

Despite a district-wide drop in student enrollment, several of the athletic programs at Washougal High School are growing, putting pressure on the district’s partner facilities such as Orchard Hills Golf Course in Washougal and Gold’s Gym in Camas, Wilde said.

“Orchards Hills has been amazing and gracious in supporting (our) golfers, and Gold’s Gym has been very supportive of local swimmers,” Wilde said. “However, as our greater community continues to grow, we continually need to be responsive to changing dynamics and access.”

Doug Flanagan: 360-735-4669; [email protected]

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