Canby Schools Are in Crisis. This May 19th Vote Will Decide What Comes Next.

Canby Schools Are Cutting Deep. A May 19th Vote Will Decide How Much Deeper They Go. 

On April 1st, the Canby School District superintendent walked into a city council meeting and delivered a presentation that had nothing to do with April Fools. The numbers he shared were real—and they were hard to ignore.

Last year, the district cut $7 million from its budget and eliminated 74 staff positions. Seventy-four people—teachers, aides, and staff who support students every day. This year, there’s another $6.3 million gap to close. Back-to-back, that adds up to a 21% budget reduction in just two years.

That’s not trimming around the edges. That’s a fundamental shift in how the district operates.

And the reality is: they’re not done cutting.

What Gets Cut Without a Levy

If the May 19th levy fails, the next round of reductions is already outlined—and it’s specific.

• Reading specialists
• School counselors
• Middle school sports
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs — including culinary, agriculture, and construction trades
• Class sizes increasing from roughly 26 students to around 40
• Potential school closures

These aren’t abstract numbers on a spreadsheet. These are the programs that help struggling students catch up. These are the counselors who step in when a student is having a hard time. These are the activities that keep kids connected to school—and often, out of trouble.

CTE programs in particular are worth paying attention to. Not every student is headed toward a four-year college. Programs like construction trades, agriculture, and culinary arts give students real, practical skills they can use immediately after graduation. Cutting those programs doesn’t just reduce options—it removes entire pathways.

Class size is another piece that often gets overlooked until it’s felt directly. A jump from 26 to 40 students per class isn’t just a number—it changes how much attention each student gets, how classrooms are managed, and how effective instruction can be.

Why This Is Happening

The short version: costs are rising faster than funding.

Like many districts across Oregon, Canby is dealing with increasing operational costs—staffing, benefits, materials, and maintenance—while state funding hasn’t kept pace in a way that fully covers those increases.

The result is a structural gap. Not a one-time issue, but an ongoing imbalance between what it costs to run the district and the money coming in.

Last year’s $7 million cut was an attempt to close that gap. This year’s $6.3 million shortfall shows that the problem didn’t go away—it continued.

What the Levy Actually Costs

The proposed levy is $1.50 per $1,000 of a home’s assessed value—not market value.

That distinction matters more than most people think.

Assessed value is typically lower than what a home would sell for on the open market. So the actual cost to homeowners is often less than what people assume when they first hear the number.

For example:
A home with an assessed value of $300,000 would pay about $450 per year, or roughly $37 per month.

For some households, that’s manageable. For others, it’s a real consideration. Either way, understanding the actual math helps frame the decision more clearly.

The Property Value Connection

If you’re a homeowner without kids in the district, it’s easy to think this doesn’t directly affect you.

But in real estate, school quality is one of the most consistent drivers of home value.

Buyers look at school ratings. They ask about district stability. They compare communities based on the strength of their schools—even if they don’t have children themselves, because they know future buyers will.

When a district starts cutting counselors, eliminating programs, increasing class sizes, and potentially closing schools, that sends a signal.

Not immediately—but over time.

Stable, well-supported school districts tend to support stable or increasing home values. Districts that are visibly struggling can have the opposite effect. It shows up in buyer demand, in how long homes sit on the market, and in how aggressively buyers are willing to offer.

This isn’t a theoretical argument—it’s something agents and appraisers see play out over time in real markets.

What Happens Next

The vote is set for May 19th.

If the levy passes, it provides a path to stabilize funding and avoid the next round of deeper cuts.

If it doesn’t, the district moves forward with the reductions already outlined—affecting staffing, programs, class sizes, and potentially the number of schools operating.

Either way, the outcome won’t just shape the next school year. It will shape the direction of the district for years to come.

Jennifer Schurter serves buyers, sellers, and investors throughout South Clackamas County and the North Willamette Valley — including Canby, Oregon City, Wilsonville, Aurora, Hubbard, Molalla, Woodburn, Newberg, Sherwood, Tualatin, West Linn, Lake Oswego, and the greater Portland metro south. Her goal is simple: to be the most knowledgeable, most responsive, and most genuinely helpful real estate agent in the area — every single time. Jennifer is a licensed Oregon real estate broker with Real Broker LLC.

Ready to talk through your next move? Schedule a time with Jennifer here. No pressure, no pitch — just a real conversation.