Camas schools to cut 38 teachers

Newer teachers in the Camas School District received bad news this week as the district continues to slash costs ahead of an expected $13 million to $16 million budget deficit for the 2025-26 school year.

Camas School District Superintendent John Anzalone said the district will cut 8 percent to 8.5 percent of its teachers for the coming school year.

Communications Director Doreen McKercher said Thursday that district leaders informed 38 provisional teachers — those who have worked for the district for three years or less — that their contracts will not be renewed.

The staffing cuts follow previous budget reductions.

In February, the district eliminated several administrative positions, including deans at Liberty and Skyridge middle schools and Camas High School and assistant principals at Helen Baller, Dorothy Fox and Grass Valley elementary schools and Odyssey Middle School.

Anzalone said earlier this year that in addition to cutting teachers, the district needs to cut 13 percent of its classified, non-educator support staff and 29 percent of its central administration positions. The cuts are to make up for a budget shortfall caused by increasing costs, reduced state funding due to a decrease in student enrollment, the end of federal pandemic relief funds and a dwindling reserve fund.

Anzalone said additional reduction-in-force notifications will come as soon as Monday.

McKercher said the district also has 10 open positions, mainly in its elementary schools, ahead of the 2025-26 school year that other teachers can volunteer to fill.

The provisional teachers who have been laid off would be able to apply for those positions if no other senior teachers or those with special certifications apply.

The Camas Educators Association union — which represents about 460 Camas educators, counselors, specialists and teacher-librarians — is in contract negotiations with the district, McKercher said.

The two sides will meet again May 7.