School Board Cuts 7-million From Budget

With recurring costs outpacing new revenues, the school board is cutting 7-million dollars from next year’s budget.

The biggest chunk will come from eliminating 60 custodians, 24 bus drivers and mechanics and 53 regular education teachers.  The district also saved over 2-million dollars in reduced premiums for the school employees’ health benefit plan.  But Board finance chair Kathy Neville cautions that those kinds of savings won’t happen again next year.

 

“What worries me long term is that, as I said to the Mayor many times, is that we have whittled away everything known to man.  We have whittled down class sizes.  We have whittled down custodians.  We have whittled, whittled, whittled.  What we don’t want to do is next year, have to make slashes.  You know, if we have to cut any more, we will really, really feel it.”

 

She says Metro Council needs to address the long-term funding needs of the district.

In the last day of Mayor Bill Purcell’s budget hearings today, the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau reported they’re on track to have the highest motel and hotel receipts ever– raking in over 22-million dollars this year.  Purcell expects to deliver the budget to Metro Council on the 25^th of this month.