BonnerSprings.com

Total cuts for the 2009-2010 school year will stop just short of $1.2 million, but school officials are remaining optimistic the district and its staff will stay afloat – at least for now.

“It’s gonna go fantastic, and we’re gonna make it through no matter what the legislature decides,” said Superintendent Robert Van Maren of the coming school year during tonight’s USD 204 Board of Education meeting.

Van Maren also cautioned, however, that more work would need to be done in the way of reducing expenses to prevent a future string of layoffs.

“I think we need to deal proactively in September and October with what possibilities we might need to do should doom and gloom set in,” Van Maren said. “If we can’t find a way to reduce costs by the end of January, than we’re going to have to look at staff reductions and a reduction in teaching force.”

The district is up against cuts in the 2009-2010 budget that include an additional 2 percent cut in the general fund Gov. Mark Parkinson made earlier this month. Kansas schools across the state will see a $62 drop in their base state aid per pupil, from $4,280 to $4,218 – a situation that could ring the death knell for several school programs, Van Maren said, especially when more cuts are made.

“My best guess is there’s gonna be another cut,” he said. “Which would mean automatically summer school, tutoring, anything like that would be completely gone.”

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