Battle Ground Public Schools set June 17 listening session amid $20M cuts
Battle Ground, WA — Battle Ground Public Schools will hold a June 17 listening session while $20 million in cuts trim summer school and original-credit courses.
June 17 is the next date families should circle
Battle Ground Public Schools will hold a public listening session on June 17 as it works through about $20 million in budget reductions for the 2026-27 school year. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Battle Ground High School media center and does not require an RSVP.
The district says the session is a chance to discuss budget priorities and future educational programs and operations levies. A summary will be posted afterward, but the meeting will not be recorded.
Some summer academic options are already gone
A June 8 district update says Battle Ground Public Schools will not offer summer school for kindergarten through eighth grade this summer. It also says original-credit summer courses will not be offered. Only credit recovery will be available.
Why the district says the cuts are necessary
In its budget update, the district says it needs the reductions because of the loss of local levy funding, gaps in state funding, unfunded mandates and rising operating costs. Battle Ground also says state funding alone does not fully cover the cost of operating a district its size.
The district says it has cut about $34 million over two years and lost 268.2 positions that support students.
What could still change next school year
A BoardDocs budget-reduction proposal lists possible effects that could reach staffing, transportation and extracurriculars. Among the items listed are reduced bus routes, reduced athletic transportation, fewer middle school extracurricular activities and clubs, and changes to counselor, nurse, teacher librarian and assistant principal staffing.
For Battle Ground parents, employees and taxpayers, the immediate takeaway is simple: some summer classes are already off the table, and the June 17 session is the nearest chance to comment before next year’s budget decisions harden.
