Vancouver Public Schools projects an $11.4 million budget deficit in the coming school year, and it says salary deals with teachers and educational support staff are partly to blame.

The school board will consider a resolution directing Superintendent Steve Webb to consider possible program and staff cuts in light of the expected deficit at Tuesday’s meeting. According to the resolution, the additional costs include $7.2 million “stemming from collective bargaining” with the Vancouver Education Association, as well as an additional $2.1 million reflecting the district’s offer to the Vancouver Association of Educational Support Professionals. The VAESP has not yet ratified its contract after reaching a tentative agreement just before winter break.

The resolution estimates another $13.8 million budget deficit the following school year.

Vancouver Public Schools and other districts in the region gave their teachers significant raises last summer after teacher strikes and heated negotiations kept students out of class for days. The consternation stemmed from an influx of money into area schools, a result of school funding legislation designed to bring the state in compliance with the 2012 McCleary decision. That year, the state Supreme Court ruled the state was failing to fully fund basic education.

While teachers maintained the vast majority of the new money was for teacher salaries, districts say the multimillion-dollar contracts will force them to make budget cuts in the coming years.

Vancouver Public Schools is forecasted to receive $324,000,000 in revenue for the 2019-2020 school year. Earlier estimates suggest the district could have more than $30 million in reserve funds by the end of the year, but district spokeswoman Pat Nuzzo said that budget estimate was adopted prior to VEA’s contract ratification. That means it does not include the added cost of the VEA or VAESP contracts.