Over the past two years, Battle Ground Public Schools has made $34 million in budget cuts due to the loss of local levy money The district lost local levy money and costs that exceed state funding. These cuts have affected students, teachers, counselors, school and district leaders, support staff, maintenance workers and office staff. The district has lost 16% of its entire staff in two years, including:
28% of district administrators
23% of district administrative support
21% of building administrators
16% of classified staff (e.g., maintenance, custodians, crossing guards and more)
16% of teaching staff
How students are affected by the cuts
Students are affected by cuts in many ways. Examples include:
Fewer adults in schools. The cuts included counselors, assistant principals, behavior support staff, security staff, reading specialists, multilingual teachers, classroom teachers and paraeducators. As a result, students wait longer for counseling or help with bullying, safety, behavior or mental health needs. Teachers have less time to give students one-on-one help.
Class sizes are larger. Students also have fewer class options and less support. Students who are behind in school, learning English or trying to earn enough credits to graduate may be affected the most.
Some programs ended or shrank. Summer school for kindergarten through eighth grade was cut. The highly capable program is no longer available for primary school students who can learn at an accelerated level. Additional time for high schoolers to receive academic support was removed. Sports and activities have less funding, and sports fees have increased.
Community input drove the budget cut process
Throughout the process, staff, families, community members and students helped shape priorities. Their feedback prioritized maintaining positions and programs focused on student safety and well-being, core academic instruction, support for vulnerable students, student engagement and college and career preparation. There was also a preference for making smaller reductions across multiple areas rather than cutting entire programs.
With that feedback in mind, the district carefully reviewed all potential cost-saving options and worked to minimize cuts to the areas identified as the most important.
What students are saying
Every year, two current students sit on Battle Ground Public Schools’ board of directors to provide recommendations and share student perspectives. During the 2025-26 school year, student representatives Itzel Contreras Montiel from Prairie High School and Toby Nguyen from CAM Academy surveyed their peers about budget cuts. Here’s what they heard from students across the district:
Why did you want to survey students and specifically ask about levy failures?
Toby: It was the biggest topic of the year. It was a double levy failure [at the time], and those aren’t very common, so we were trying to record the effects of that and see how it affected students.
Itzel: We have so much diversity in the district and so many schools. It was important to highlight the kids and show that all these kids have different backgrounds, hobbies, goals in life and situations. But at the end of the day, they all were affected by the levy failure. The survey showed that it had a negative impact on all kids.
"Kids are a lot less interested and inspired to go to school because they didn’t have what made their school feel like a community."
What are some of the themes that emerged from your survey?
Toby: Every student talked about the loss of extracurricular activities. With that came a lack of motivation and interest in school. That was by far the biggest theme: Kids are a lot less interested and inspired to go to school because they didn’t have what made their school feel like a community.
Itzel: Students also talked about the loss of positions for staff who made an impact on these kids’ lives. It created a lot of sadness.
Toby: We have less security staff, which factors into the other theme we heard–bullying. There’s less security and less teachers, so there’s fewer eyes on the kids.
Was there anything that was surprising to you?
Toby: The biggest surprise was talking to fourth and fifth graders and hearing how much they knew about the failed levy and not having things like middle school sports because of it.
Itzel: These kids are very aware of what’s happening in society around them.
What should adults know about how students are feeling?
Toby: Students need a reason to go to school. Things like activities and clubs build social skills and make them feel like they’re part of a community, which leads to them wanting to be at school and learning more.
Itzel: Kids are struggling because their school isn’t getting enough money. Ask a student what they need, what their school needs.
"Everything connects back to kids needing opportunities, and that costs money."
Anything you would like to add?
Itzel: It's important for adults to show up for the kids and get involved. Be open minded and come in to learn more. We have all these positive numbers for reading, writing, state tests, Advanced Placement, Running Start, graduation. Some people don’t think it’s enough, but they need to understand that we don’t have the funds to give kids better opportunities, or more help or more structure. When we talk about kids losing motivation, they lose motivation to study, to pass classes, to pass tests. Everything connects back to kids needing opportunities, and that costs money.
Toby: We are a good district, we just need support to do what we want to do. If we had the budget, Battle Ground could be one of the greatest school districts. We are keeping up with other districts with half of what they have. For what we have, kids are excelling.