| After a two-week holiday, school boards and CFOs are coming back to harsh budget realities for the 2010-11 school year. Here's a sampling of what's in store from Grand Junction to Peetz (at the Nebraska border).
In Telluride, district officials are contemplating a $600,000 cut:
The first cuts will most likely come in professional services and other fringe expenses though there is little doubt that the culling will reach into classrooms, first as cuts to elective classes and then perhaps deeper. It would be hard for them not too: more than 80 percent of the school district's spending comes in the form of employee salaries and benefits.
Cherry Creek is bracing for $12-13 million in cuts and Aurora expects a $16.4 million fiscal hole next year. Meanwhile, Mesa School District 51 in Grand Junction, which struggled to keep cuts out of the classroom in the current year, faces an expected $8 million cut in 2010-11:
[School Board member Greg Mikolai] says these cuts will be tough because everyone in the district is already doing what they can.
"Much of the saving have been made due to the effort of the teachers themselves. And trying to cut and save on, you know on office use and supply use," says Mikolai. . . .
It's too early to tell what will be cut to make up for the 8 million dollar shortfall next year. District 51 is looking into offering early retirement to some staff members. An estimated 600 people are eligible. The district estimates saving around 2 million dollars if they decide to take the voluntary offer.
And it's only January . . . |
