Modifications could possibly be coming to the Washougal College District’s athletic applications.
District leaders mentioned this week that they don’t have any plans to eradicate any of Washougal’s center or highschool sports activities groups, however a doc offered to the Washougal College Board earlier this month suggests the district could also be contemplating making some changes.
The doc, 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 colleges superintendent Aaron Hansen mentioned the district, which is going through $1.5 million in funds cuts forward of the 2025-2026 faculty 12 months, plans to carry all of its athletic applications and extracurricular actions again subsequent 12 months.
“Just like we do each year, we will align these programs with the actual turnout for each sport, club or activity,” Hansen mentioned. “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 mentioned inflation, worker contract negotiations, state legislative impacts and “quite a bit of uncertainty about future cost escalations due to tariffs” all play into the college district’s funds choices.
Washougal Excessive College athletic director Brian Wilde mentioned he acknowledges the entire faculty’s applications could “come under financial review” because the district makes an attempt to steadiness its funds.
“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 mentioned.
He added that the college district plans to contemplate a number of features of its athletics departments, together with transportation, staffing, amenities and participation charges, in its cost-cutting efforts. However Wilde famous that he doesn’t anticipate any groups or applications being eradicated within the close to future.
An training and operations levy, authorized by voters in 2023, offers the vast majority of the funding for the district’s sports activities applications and extracurricular actions. The district projected that the levy would accumulate $9.5 million in 2024, $10.5 million in 2025 and $11.5 million in 2026, however to date, it hasn’t acquired all of its allotted funds as a result of 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,” mentioned Les Brown, the district’s director of communications, expertise 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 % decline in pupil enrollment subsequent 12 months. In response to the district, greater than 400 college students have participated in highschool sports activities, and its center faculty applications have drawn greater than 500 individuals throughout the present faculty 12 months.
“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 mentioned. “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.”
Outcomes from pupil surveys point out a need for the district so as to add sports activities, resembling lacrosse or flag soccer, which might require new taking part in surfaces, in line with Wilde.
“At Washougal High School, we have one field that services unified soccer, boys soccer, girls soccer, football (and) track and field,” Wilde instructed faculty board members throughout their April 8 board assembly. “Trying to navigate or splice time for lacrosse or flag football or other sports is difficult with the number of fields that we have.”
Regardless of a district-wide drop in pupil enrollment, a number of of the athletic applications at Washougal Excessive College are rising, placing stress on the district’s associate amenities resembling Orchard Hills Golf Course in Washougal and Gold’s Fitness center in Camas, Wilde mentioned.
“Orchards Hills has been amazing and gracious in supporting (our) golfers, and Gold’s Gym has been very supportive of local swimmers,” Wilde mentioned. “However, as our greater community continues to grow, we continually need to be responsive to changing dynamics and access.”
