The Bulletin

A group of parents, caregivers, and teachers of special needs children asked the High Desert Education Service District to reconsider budget cuts Tuesday night that would decrease services their children rely on while attending Central Oregon schools.  High Desert ESD board members answered questions about funding and acknowledged parents’ concerns, but ultimately passed the budget. If the budget was not passed by June 30, the regional service provider, which provides specialists for disabilities, early intervention, and early childhood education for children through age 5 and more, would run the risk of not having any funding at all.  The district’s 2025-26 $90.6 million budget is 2% less than its 2024-25 budget, and it anticipates a 22% reduction in federal grants.