| School
facing deficit
Cottonwood School Superintendent Gary Blaz reported Tuesday that the school district is right now looking at a deficit of nearly $600,000. After a cut of $42,000 by employing a superintendent half time they are still looking at a deficit of $596,118 for the coming year. This falls in line with the 8.5% cuts from the previous JFAC decisions from the Idaho Legislature. Blaz reports that some of the solutions they are looking at are: * Reduction of classified and certified staff. * Salary reductions-this would happen without cutting student education time. * Increase of levy amounts * Cutting programs Blaz said that, “Simply put, everything is being considered on the chopping block.” He said that they will be providing weekly information on what the decisions will be. They are still planning on closing a school next year to help offset these deficits, but cannot take that action this year because the remaining facilities will not accommodate the current enrollments. “Somehow we have to get through this year to be able to make our budget whole for next year and the years after,” said Blaz.
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