Less than a week before students return to school, Eugene School District 4J administrators prepped board members for the daunting adult work ahead.
Administrators presented new district goals, as required by Senate Bill 141, also known as the 2025 Education Accountability Act. The law sets new accountability requirements for districts statewide, starting this year.
Board members also heard about anticipated budget challenges. Looking ahead to 2027-28 budget planning, not only will 4J face a continued structural deficit, but district administrators also will be contending with an unknown amount of state school funding that legislators will decide on during the 2027 legislative session, as well as increased pension costs and potential increases in employee costs from bargaining.
Goal setting
Administrators presented 4J’s 2030 Performance Growth Targets in the state’s prescribed categories, as detailed in Senate Bill 141, which mainly revolve around attendance, graduation rates and test scores. Literacy and math levels are measured by the percentage of students who earn a proficient score on the annual state test:
- Kindergarten-second grade regular attendance
- Currently: 73.3%
- Goal: 79%
- Kindergarten-12th grade regular attendance:
- Currently: 67.2%
- Goal: 73.1%
- Third-grade literacy
- Currently: 46.2%
- Goal: 57.9%
- Eighth-grade math
- Currently: 37.8%
- Goal: 45.7%
- Ninth grade on-track (based on credits earned for graduation)
- Currently: 86.4%
- Goal: 95.1%
- Four-year graduation rate
- Currently: 77.8%
- Goal: 90%
- Five-year completion rate
- Currently: 87.7%
- Goal: 95.1%
The district chose “academic growth” as its local, eighth goal, which it will measure through interim tests. Leaders will track the goals, and present results publicly at the end of the year. Administrators said 2026-27 will be an “implementation” year — they aim to only cover about 10% of their four-year goals this year, and ramp up to covering 30% of the goals each of the following three years…