HSD Superintendent Steve Marshall knows why the HSD's Technology and Maintenance Budgets were nearly cut in half for the 2025-26 school year. When asked what factors led to these reductions, Marshall responded: "Costs have increased across-the-board over the past few years, state funding came in at a lower level than expected, and the only two remotely 'discretionary' funds in our budget are Technology and Maintenance." It's ironic, Marshall added, that the two funds that are facing the steepest price increases are the same two that have been trimmed the most.
This has left Technology Lead Craig Barnhill and Maintenance Supervisor Dave Wilson with the difficult task of addressing needs with $500,000 less in funds than last year. Both agree that the funding model is unstainable, but understand that it's necessary. They are coping through a combination of self-reliance, creativity, and prioritization. "I'd venture to say that nowhere is 'The Hockinson Way' more evident than in the Technology and Maintenance Departments," said Wilson.
This summer, Marshall detailed the district's financial challenges in a letter to parents and community. In response to state funding shortfalls and rising costs, Marshall explained that the district needed to implement a series of reductions to balance its 2025-26 budget. At the same time Marshall, who himself opted to freeze his salary at its 2024-25 level, pledged that the district would do its best to insulate teachers and students from the effects of such cuts.
"We were completely honest when we said our district tried to 'keep the cuts furthest from the classroom,' during the budget development process," recounted Marshall. "While it is difficult to localize cuts to certain areas because nearly everything ultimately touches the classroom - from heating to instructional technology to curriculum - we did our best to maintain our teachers and instructional supports. But the cuts had to come from somewhere and they largely fell in the areas of [Classified and District Office] personnel, tech, and maintenance," he added.
While the HSD has had to dip into its reserves to cover some expenses, Marshall, Barnhill and Wilson all acknowledge that the situation would be worse without the district's four-year Educational Programs & Operations (EP&O) Levy. "We are grateful for the 2022 levy and understand that our community has been impacted by inflation as well. I think, in part, the failure of last winter's capital levy communicated that," said Marshall. He explained that six of the nine school districts in Clark County currently have a Capital or Tech Levy in addition to an EP&O Levy while three districts - HSD, Battle Ground, and LaCenter - operate under a single, "all inclusive" levy.
So, can the HSD meet its tech and maintenance needs with only 50% of its normal funding? Wilson thinks so: "We've shown that we operate efficiently and we're up for this latest challenge, too."