The Oregon Department of Education told the House Interim Committee on Education it is well into the implementation phase for Senate Bill 141, laying out a multi-year plan to build a shared-accountability system and modernize school finance reporting.

Dr. Charlene Williams, ODE director, described SB 141 as an evidence-based framework that requires districts to set meaningful improvement goals beginning in the 2026–27 academic year and gives ODE clearer authority for monitoring progress, reinforcing successful practices, and providing targeted support. She said the department's approach emphasizes partnership, reduced administrative burden and a long runway for implementation rather than an immediate overhaul.

Lindsay Baker (ODE) outlined four major workstreams: reorganizing the agency into regional service teams to provide more coherent, continuous supports; piloting streamlined reporting with 34 districts starting in the 2026 academic year; developing interim assessments and performance metrics (intended to be part of district accountability presentations three times a year); and contracting a third party to review Division 22 and 24 rules as part of rulemaking.

Tamille Weatherall (deputy director of operations) described the finance modernization effort: a unified statewide chart of accounts, an updated Program Budgeting and Accounting Manual (PBAM) aligned to national standards, and a linked data platform joining financial and academic outcomes. Weatherall said the department extended the implementation timeline to July 1, 2027 and moved state-board rule adoption to March 2026 to allow phased onboarding, expanded training and vendor coordination.

Committee members pressed ODE on implementation costs, vendor expenses and district capacity. Representatives asked whether the department had identified specific dollar estimates for software, professional development and local business-manager workload. ODE said it had no single statewide dollar figure to present at the hearing, described ongoing vendor discussions and emphasized phased timelines and technical assistance. Members urged clearer benchmarks and earlier corrective mechanisms for districts that fail to meet interim milestones.

Why it matters: SB 141 changes how Oregon measures district performance and links spending to outcomes; the PBAM and chart-of-accounts updates are intended to allow policymakers and local leaders to see how resources align with student results and to surface fiscal-health indicators earlier.

What happens next: ODE will continue piloting reporting and interim-assessment plans, coordinate with districts and vendors, and return to the legislature with additional implementation timelines and benchmarks. Lawmakers requested more detailed cost estimates and problem-of-practice definitions linking spending to outcomes.