Observant readers may have noted our reporting last year that the Corvallis School District would be anticipating a few years of increasing costs and declining enrollment, which would in turn mean declining revenues from the state’s School Fund.
Fast forward to this year’s Feb. 8 School Board meeting – and the district’s budget director reporting there would be a $10.4 million gap to address for next year’s school budget.
It’s tough news for the district’s budget committee, and there will probably be some layoffs. But on the plus side, the district has faced challenges like these in the past, and if history is any indicator, they’ll prioritize keeping as many staff as they can, for instance helping some personnel move into other openings within the district, even if a current job is being eliminated.
A new budget will need to be adopted by June – and we’ll keep you posted.
We Compared Birthday Packages at Five Kids’ Gyms: The assignment was to figure out an hour or two of birthday cake fueled climbing-jumping-running fun for a party of eight very active kiddos – mostly sans clean-up at the end. It was a tall order, but we found five local venues with ready-made programs to fill the bill, all of them include coaches, and all having their own strong points.
Two caveats, you can book some of these venues just a week or two ahead, but others may need almost two months of notice ahead of time. For this comparison we used non-member prices, and stuck with lower price packages.
Kidspirit – Best variety of events, and they’ll even try to accommodate special requests if they can find a coach to do it – like, we literally asked about wrestling, and the answer wasn’t no. At $259 for up to 10 participants, they were mid-priced. They were highly responsive by phone. Kidspirit is an OSU Extension program, so be aware it’s campus parking.
Valley Rock Gym – You may get some cred for originality among partygoers here, it’s the newest of all these venues, and they’re already well reviewed, which is a pretty sweet combo. Still mid-priced, the room with all the stuff is $250 for 8 participants, and the room without rope climbing still has 360 degrees of bouldering and is $200. Convenient downtown location, highly responsive by phone.
Corvallis Sports Park – They cost less, but you won’t feel like you skimped, and that’s part of what makes this birthday venue popular with so many parents. Even for non-members, prices start at only $175 for up to 15 kids. Notably, they do not permit outside food and drink, so buying these from them may add to your expenses, but it still seems to be good a deal. You’ll need to book a little further ahead with this venue. We phoned twice during business hours before getting someone.
Peak Elite – Dodge ball and a nerf war anyone? Starting at $224.99 for 12 kids, and for another $50 you can add five more kids and they’ll add a bounce house. It’s good value for the dollar, and the site alludes to a willingness to customize the activities. We called before business hours with the anticipated result being no answer – then we emailed, and they responded ridiculously quickly – way less than an hour.
Little Gym – Higher priced, but extra services, like a gift registry, and evite or printed invites. Prices range from $330 to $400 depending on the party theme you choose – regular birthday bash, royal princess celebration, dance around the world, pirate, superhero, and more. It took a few phone calls to get someone, there were no responses to email, voicemail or text.
New Oregon Tax Credits for Low Income Families: It can pay to file your tax return. A new state tax credit could provide up to $5,000 for Oregon’s lowest income families who file an Oregon state income tax return.
The Oregon Kids Credit, created by the Legislature last year, is a refundable credit for low-income people with young dependent children. For those with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $25,000 or less, the full credit is $1,000 per child for up to five dependent children under the age of six at the end of the tax year—a maximum benefit of $5,000. A partial credit is available for individuals and families with an MAGI up to $30,000.
When combined with the federal Earned Income Tax Credit and the Oregon Earned Income Credit, it could help boost the tax refund for the lowest income families to more than $13,000.
The EITC is for people with an adjusted gross income of up to $63,398 in 2023. Families may be eligible for a maximum refundable credit of $7,430 on their federal tax return, and a maximum Oregon EIC of $891 on their state tax return.
All three credits are fully refundable, meaning the portion of the credit that is larger than what a taxpayer owes can be refunded. Taxpayers may even be able to claim the credits and receive a tax refund if they don’t normally file a tax return.
To claim the credits, taxpayers must file a return. To assist taxpayers, Oregon offers several free filing options, including free fillable forms and the new Direct File Oregon. Taxpayers who need help filing their taxes can also find free assistance options on the agency website.
Families who are eligible for the Oregon Kids Credit are also likely eligible for the partially refundable Working Family Household and Dependent Care Credit (WFHDC), which helps low- to moderate-income families pay for the care of their dependents while they’re working, looking for work, or attending school.
To encourage Oregonians to save for college and job training, the Education Savings Credit for Oregon 529 Plan contributions allows single filers to receive a refundable credit of as much as $170 ($340 for joint filers) if they contribute to an Oregon College Savings Plan account before tax day. The refundable tax credit is also available for contributions to an Oregon ABLE Savings Plan account, which empowers people experiencing disabilities to invest and build financial security without jeopardizing their eligibility for vital state and federal benefits.
For more information about the federal EITC, the Oregon EIC, the Oregon Kids Credit and other similar credits, go to the Tax benefits for families page.
Taxpayers can dial 2-1-1 or visit the Oregon Department of Revenue website to find free tax preparation sites by using our interactive map. For more information on the EITC, visit https://www.eitc.irs.gov/. For questions about Oregon taxes, call the Department of Revenue at 503-378-4988.
Refunds distribution has begun: The annual refund hold that is part of the agency’s fraud prevention efforts has been completed and the department began issuing the first refunds of the 2024 tax season Monday.
In 2024 Oregon is returning $5.61 billion in surplus revenue to taxpayers in the form of a “kicker” tax credit. Taxpayers will receive their kicker as part of their refund, or the kicker can reduce the tax they owe.
Most refunds are issued within two weeks, but returns that need more review may take up to 16 weeks before a refund is issued. Taxpayers can check the status of their refund by using the department’s Where’s My Refund? tool on Revenue Online. A video outlining the refund process and timelines is also available to help taxpayers understand the process.
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