The Hood River County School Board heard from Superintendent Bill Newton personnel reductions planned as the district seeks to balance its budget for the 2025-26 school year in the face of declining enrollment and increasing costs.  Those cuts include the full time equivalent of six-and-a-half elementary school teaching positions, two-and-a-half at middle schools, and just over four teaching positions at Hood River Valley High School.  Cuts are also proposed to instructional coaches and classified positions, and a reduction of two-and-a-third district-wide positions plus an executive director already announced.  Newton told the board he was particularly disappointed with reducing the instructional coach positions.  Newton says the reduction in force process is underway, with notifications to be done next week.  The district’s budget committee will begin to meet later this month.