Board to discuss budget cuts; meeting Tuesday

You might want to attend if any of these proposals makes you shudder:

• A $175,000 increase achieved by applying for state funding for special-education students.

• A $116,000 savings from moving the district closer to a new model of delivering some special-education services. The district would add two self-contained special-education classrooms. The savings would be gained because the classrooms would require fewer paraeducators to be paired with individual students.

• An $88,000 cut in funding for individual student help from paraeducators.

• A $69,000 cut to eliminate the resource conservation manager position. The person who had that post accepted a new job, which prompted officials to consider eliminating the post.

• A $36,000 cut to reduce to half time the coordinator who helps ease special-education students’ transition to life after high school. The position was created in the fall, and the district hasn’t been able to get enough qualified candidates to fill the post beyond half time.

• A $22,000 increase through increasing pay-to-play fees for sports. Fees would increase from $30 to $40 per sport for middle school students and from $75 to $90 per sport for high school.

Oh, and did I mention that layoffs are in the picture a year or two down the road?

The public hearing is at 5:30 at the Knox Center, followed by a regular meeting of the Board at 6:30.