ADAIR VILLAGE — Administrators at Santiam Christian Schools will know by next month how much to raise tuition to offset any budget shortfalls.

“Right now, we’re trying to make the same guesses everybody else is,” Superintendent Stan Baker said Tuesday.

The 29-year-old private Christian school lost about 40 students this past fall, which prompted officials to reduce the number of elementary classes and hold open positions vacant.

Complicating that situation is a property sale still held up in court. The school purchased 80 acres to the south of its campus on Arnold Avenue, intending to develop athletic fields on half and sell the rest to help cover a debt on a gym it built at the beginning of the decade. However, the sale involves expansion of Adair Village’s urban growth boundary, which is being appealed.

Baker said the original $1 million loan for the gym is down to $525,000, which the school rolled into a longer mortgage when it became clear the property situation was on hold. However, he said, “It doesn’t relate to our enrollment and economics.”

The school met with parents last week to discuss balancing tuition with rising costs, Baker said. He is meeting with a financial committee to discuss budget drafts, but no decisions will be made until February.

Baker stressed the school is in no danger of closing.

“We’re having to cut back, but we’re still well over 800 kids,” he said.