Outdoor School Funding Update
March 4, 2026
The Joint Committee on Ways and Means wrapped up business without passing HB 4112 out of committee. That means that for the 2026-27 fiscal year Outdoor School will not see a $6 million restoration of cuts that were made in June of 2025.
As a result, Oregon children will endure another year of Outdoor School that is not funded at the level Oregon voters intended with Measure 99.
While we are extremely disappointed in this outcome, we are incredibly relieved that Outdoor School did not incur the additional cuts that were initially proposed to the budget. That is because the community of Outdoor School supporters, including so many of you, stepped up and advocated for kids. Thank you.
As you know, our three goals for this legislative session were:
No further cuts to Outdoor School funding
An additional $6 million to restore cuts made in 2025
Setting up the work that must be done in 2027 to ensure Outdoor School is funded at the level voters intended
Because of the huge groundswell of support for Outdoor School over the fall and winter, we achieved two of those goals.
We were clearly on the chopping block for an additional multi-million dollar cut this year. Your advocacy stopped that from happening. The Legislature now knows just how important Outdoor School is to Oregonians of all ages, and we look forward to working with the Governor and legislators to fix this funding in the next budget.
Here is what you can do to help now:
Contact the Governor to urge her to include full Outdoor School funding (4% of lottery revenue) in her recommended budget for 2027. Getting the funding number correct in the Governor’s recommended budget will help pave the way for a more successful outcome.
If your legislators were co-sponsors, please contact them and thank them for their support! In your thank you, please request their help to ask the Governor to include full funding in her recommended budget.
Join our Advocacy Network!
Want to continue to speak up for Outdoor School? Send us an email, and we will send you updates on our advocacy and ways to share your voice through letter-writing, attending hearings, or other activities.
Share your Outdoor School Story!
We are partnering with Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School to collect stories from Outdoor School champions like you. Your story will help us educate decision-makers about the benefits of Outdoor School and what funding cuts mean to students and families.
ACTION: Share your story of Outdoor School, including how Outdoor School funding cuts are affecting you, your family, and your community.
Oregon camps are vital to providing inspiring natural locations for tens of thousands of Oregon students to attend Outdoor School. Friends of Outdoor School and camps throughout Oregon are working together to communicate the impacts of state Outdoor School budget cuts on camps.
ACTION: Please complete this form to share how Outdoor School funding cuts are impacting your ability to participate in your favorite camp.
DETAILS
FACTS:
In 2016, Oregon voters overwhelmingly dedicated 4% of Lottery funds via Measure 99 to work toward sending every Oregon student to a week of Outdoor School.
Over $51.5 million was provided to school districts during the 2023-2025 biennium to support student attendance at Outdoor School.
OSU Extension worked with the Legislature in 2024 to spend down the COVID-era carryover for programming, freeing 2023-2025 allocated resources for urgent state needs while achieving voter-intended funding levels.
Providing only $43.2 million to school districts for the 2025-2027 biennium is a cut to Outdoor School funding, and 20% below what voters approved.
Increasingly, Oregon students are attending Outdoor School, and requests for funding from 2025 to 2027 are expected to surpass the 4% allocation intended by voters.
Find more detailed information here: https://oregonstate.app.box.com/s/ekxkchq8qpa8q108vy92fcqdodynpjjd
This cut is already having a very real impact on Oregon students and the many adults working together to make Outdoor School happen for the kids. Together, with respectful yet assertive facts, we can correct this mistake. Thank you for helping to make Outdoor School possible for the kids!
For the kids!
Kim & Dan
KEY INFORMATION:
Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School:
Important financial and impact information directly from Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School can be found here and will be updated regularly.
What’s happened so far (a reverse timeline):
March 4th: The Joint Committee on Ways and Means did not pass HB 4112. Thankfully they also did not subject the Outdoor School budget to further cuts that had been proposed.
Throughout February Outdoor School champions filled hearing rooms, met with legislators, and called and emailed their representatives and senators to urge support for HB 4112.
January 16th: Rep Hudson filed HB 4112 with 48 legislative sponsors to restore $6 million of cut Outdoor School funding.
December 3rd: All state agencies were asked to present proposals for an additional 5% cut to their budgets. In spite of the already drastic cuts to the Outdoor School budget, an additional cut of $1.7 million to Outdoor School funding was proposed (line 23, column 7 of this spreadsheet).
November 6th: Dozens of Outdoor School champions advocated for no further cuts to Outdoor School at the Higher Education Coordinating Commission meeting. Watch here.
September 10th: Fall State of Outdoor School webinar. Listen here.
July 24th: Oregon State University Extension Service Outdoor School announced funding decisions to date and explained next steps. Details are here.
June 23rd: The Oregon Legislature approved a 20% cut to Outdoor School funding despite voters overwhelmingly supporting Measure 99, designating 4% of state lottery funds to Outdoor School.
June 16th: The Senate approved a bill including a $12 million cut to Outdoor School funding from current service levels.
June 6th: The Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means voted to pass a budget that cuts Outdoor School funding by $12 million. Watch for yourself- the work session on SB 5525 begins at 1:22.
June 2nd: The Oregon Joint Committee on Ways and Means subcommittee on Education passed a budget that cuts Outdoor School funding by $12 million. Watch for yourself.
Key points:
The state is in a very difficult budget environment
Oregon voters overwhelmingly passed Ballot Measure 99 in 2016
Outdoor School is important for Oregon kids!
We seek to restore the funding that was cut in July
Our Strategy for 2025-26:
October tours of Outdoor School for legislators
Briefings with key legislators to build support
Share stories and data about the impact of the reduced budget for students, schools/districts, and Outdoor School sites and providers
Targeted advocacy through fall, winter, and the legislative session
Training in January for advocates
February 2026 legislative session: request funding restoration for 2026-27
Email dan@friendsofoutdoorschool.org if you are interested