News
With hundreds of millions of dollars in education funding about to be slashed from annual budgets, school districts across the state are cutting away at spending plans to try and bridge financial gaps in 2010-11.
The budget cuts are being made at all levels with some school districts, such as La Junta, choosing to shutter an intermediate school.
The move is forecast to save the district about $770,000 in the 2010-11 budget, officials said, and should help close a financial hole brought on by declining enrollment and cuts made by the state.
Assistant Superintendent Carol Noll said the district made the choice to close the school because the building that houses the students was not fully utilized.
“That is what drove our decision,” she said.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students are going to attend the high school with third through sixth graders going to La Junta Middle School.
She said another alternative would have been to cut 20 teaching positions.
“We didn't want to do that,” Noll said.
Most of the school districts contacted appear to be anticipating a minimum 6 percent cut with respect to their upcoming budgets. The percentage figure is based on state estimates released ahead of the process.
In nearby Trinidad the school board recently elected to approve a four-day school week during the next two years as a cost-saving move.
Jack Bay, chief financial officer of Trinidad School District No. 1, said the maneuver is to result in a savings of about $50,000.
“Our savings is very minimal,” he said.
La Junta and Trinidad are located in the southeast corner of the state, and have some of the smallest total student enrollments in Colorado.
Elsewhere in the Centennial State the cuts grow with the size of the district, because the larger the student population and budget, the bigger, dollar wise, of the potential slash in funding.
For Greeley-Evans School District 6 that could amount to $11 million when factoring in fixed costs, officials said. The school district is hosting a series of open meetings during the next few weeks as it works toward its 2010-'11 budget.
School districts throughout the state are doing the same thing, including Summit which is looking to cut its costs by about $809,000 for the upcoming budget cycle. Summit is also turning to the community for input on the situation.
Among some of the suggestions — reduce substitute teacher pay; a change in schedule at Summit High School; and a reduction in school and department staffing.
Even the few school districts that are not heavily dependent on state education funding are making cuts in anticipation of receiving less money for the 2010-'11 budget year.
In the ski-rich mountain town of Aspen, the school district has identified more than $1 million dollars in cuts. Nearly all of the school district's school funding is generated from its local property tax revenue presumably leaving it less susceptible.
Free Press correspondents contributed to this report.
The budget cuts are being made at all levels with some school districts, such as La Junta, choosing to shutter an intermediate school.
The move is forecast to save the district about $770,000 in the 2010-11 budget, officials said, and should help close a financial hole brought on by declining enrollment and cuts made by the state.
Assistant Superintendent Carol Noll said the district made the choice to close the school because the building that houses the students was not fully utilized.
“That is what drove our decision,” she said.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students are going to attend the high school with third through sixth graders going to La Junta Middle School.
She said another alternative would have been to cut 20 teaching positions.
“We didn't want to do that,” Noll said.
Most of the school districts contacted appear to be anticipating a minimum 6 percent cut with respect to their upcoming budgets. The percentage figure is based on state estimates released ahead of the process.
In nearby Trinidad the school board recently elected to approve a four-day school week during the next two years as a cost-saving move.
Jack Bay, chief financial officer of Trinidad School District No. 1, said the maneuver is to result in a savings of about $50,000.
“Our savings is very minimal,” he said.
La Junta and Trinidad are located in the southeast corner of the state, and have some of the smallest total student enrollments in Colorado.
Elsewhere in the Centennial State the cuts grow with the size of the district, because the larger the student population and budget, the bigger, dollar wise, of the potential slash in funding.
For Greeley-Evans School District 6 that could amount to $11 million when factoring in fixed costs, officials said. The school district is hosting a series of open meetings during the next few weeks as it works toward its 2010-'11 budget.
School districts throughout the state are doing the same thing, including Summit which is looking to cut its costs by about $809,000 for the upcoming budget cycle. Summit is also turning to the community for input on the situation.
Among some of the suggestions — reduce substitute teacher pay; a change in schedule at Summit High School; and a reduction in school and department staffing.
Even the few school districts that are not heavily dependent on state education funding are making cuts in anticipation of receiving less money for the 2010-'11 budget year.
In the ski-rich mountain town of Aspen, the school district has identified more than $1 million dollars in cuts. Nearly all of the school district's school funding is generated from its local property tax revenue presumably leaving it less susceptible.
Free Press correspondents contributed to this report.
