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The Medford School District faces the type of math problem that is easy to understand — and exceptionally difficult to solve.

In bringing forth an anticipated $15 million budget shortfall over the next two school years, the district finds itself in company with those in the county, state and country charged with the potentially painful decisions necessary to balance the books.

Speaking during the preliminary budget presentation last week before the Medford School Board, Superintendent Bret Champion made it clear that, for this financial challenge, the only way out … is through.

“This isn’t a question of if this needs to be done,” Champion told the board. “It’s a thing. It needs to be done.”

How the district — which allocates 80% of its general fund to salaries and benefits — gets there, however, is still to be determined. The MSD budget committee has planned biweekly meetings beginning May 2. A public hearing on the results of that process is set for the June 6 meeting of the school board.

Across the state, different approaches are being taken to deal with what has become a national crisis facing public education.

Ashland plans to cut as many as 24 classified employees, along with other positions, by the end of the year to deal with its projected $1.3 million deficit. The Bend-La Pine School District is putting a $21 million yearly levy before voters. In the Salem-Kaiser district, a budget gap of more than $70 million will mean the elimination of over 400 positions.

A recent story in The Oregonian detailed the issues faced by districts large and small, with decisions being weighed that include the third-rail of educational politics — the elimination of schools themselves.

The situation is not specific to Oregon. Stories regarding school systems facing cuts can be found from Idaho to New Jersey, and from Texas to Minnesota — and, likely, the other 45 states, as well.

Similar, too, are the reasons why Medford found itself in this situation. In a “Budget Challenges Update” posted Friday on the district website, three major factors were bullet-pointed:

• Oregon does not fund school districts based on the rate of inflation. Like other schools, Medford gets annual outlay increases of 3-4%. This year, however, it comes at a time when employees received a “well-deserved cost of living adjustment” beyond that percentage, with some receiving an additional step increase.

• Like other public school systems, MSD enrollment is on the decline. Since the start of the pandemic, elementary school enrollment has dropped a staggering 23%, while the district overall is down 7%.

• Funding for students with special needs continues to grow, with the district responsible for covering $7 million of the costs involved.

Add those to other state mandates and the end of federal relief funding tied to the pandemic, and it all adds up to a $15 million puzzle.

“Just like these other districts, we’re going to be figuring it out,” John Petach, the district’s finance controller, told the school board Thursday night. “And that means cutting costs to live within the revenue that you are provided.”

And when all the figuring is done, the only thing that seems certain is that the answer is going to hurt.