NEWBERG, Ore. — In a recent statement, Newberg school board members said they were shocked to learn that the school district was more than $3.7 million in debt.
Before learning of the shortfall, board members wrote that the superintendent frequently told them that any budgetary shortfalls would be managed through savings.
Parents told KGW that the district said it had $8 million in savings in the beginning of May, before then saying it was millions of dollars in debt a couple weeks ago.
"I feel like we don't know a lot," said Carly Barnett, a mother of two Newberg first graders.
She said it’s still not clear what the repercussions of the deficit mean for students and families.
"As a parent, we're looking at — do we have furlough days before the end of the school year?" Barnett said. "Do we have to cut money this school year? What's next year going to look like?"
The budgetary shortfall is just another issue in a line of problems families have had with district leadership, parents said. One of the issues some parents mentioned is a cut to alternative programs.
"This is just kind of the tip of the iceberg," Barnett said of the deficit.
"It makes me feel angry,” Irene Dunlop, another Newberg parent, said. “Very, very angry."
Now, Dunlop is asking for Superintendent Stephen Phillips to step down.
"I personally ... I beg him to leave," she said.
Other parents are asking for the same thing. An online petition that has garnered more than 1,000 signatures asks for district leadership to resign.
"I think maybe some people got in positions where they didn't know what they were doing," said Shana Berrier, a parent and former Newberg teacher.
Berrier taught in the Newberg School District for 13 years, before leaving shortly after Phillips was hired.
In response, Phillips told KGW that he understands the petition looking to oust him.
“I think it’s fair to say I understand," Phillips said. "We’re in a budget crisis, and there’s a lot of misunderstanding, but bottom line is people are scared and nervous about the future, and responsibility lies with me.”
Phillips added that the deficit is due to several reasons. Special education, transportation and several other programs went over budget. The district also received less money from the state than expected.
He added that while it's not clear how many positions will be slashed due to the deficit, teachers, district office personnel and classified employees will be impacted.
“There absolutely will be cuts next year,” Phillips said.
Newberg has been the center of a political maelstrom over the last few years, beginning with a conservative majority on the school board banning political symbols, pointedly targeting Black Lives Matter and Pride flags. A judge later ruled the ban unconstitutional.
The same school board abruptly ousted Phillips' predecessor, Superintendent Joe Morelock, in March 2022. They hired Phillips a few months later, despite the fact that he was coming off a string of controversies connected to his work in other Oregon districts.
Last May, Newberg voters swept out the board members responsible for those decisions, but Phillips has remained superintendent.
"I knew I had to leave,” Berrier said. “I feel good about my decision to leave."
In the meantime, parents continue to worry about what the future has in store.
"Yeah, it is a gut punch," Berrier said.
The Newberg School District will have a board meeting Tuesday night to determine what is needed to pass the budget for next school year. Due to state regulations, districts are required to approve a budget by June 30.