Bend La Pine's School Board is examining its next year's budget looking for ways to decrease expenses and increase revenue. Bend La Pine School Assistant Superintendent John Rexford says they don't want to reduce school days anymore or increase class size: “In addition, we are looking at ways to reduce expenditures. Our biggest hurdle is the increasing in the retirement costs, so we're working with representatives on ways we might mitigate or reduce that expense.” There are a couple bills in the State Legislature on ways to control PERs costs. House Republicans just introduced a PERs Reform Bill that would limit the amount the amount a public employer can agree to pay towards an employee's account. The Bill would reduce the pick up costs from 6% to 3% for future collective bargaining agreements.