TPS Considering All Options To Offset More Funding Cuts

Millions of dollars in budget cuts for Tulsa Public Schools could mean a four-day school week, in addition to larger class sizes.

It's prompted by a budget meltdown on the state level.

TPS Superintendent, Dr. Deborah Gist met with lawmakers last week and came away certain that substantial cuts to education are on the way - possibly, for TPS, as much as a $20 million reduction from the current year.

In a video to TPS staff, Gist said, positively, cuts are coming - and she laid out some possibilities.

"And we're going to have to find a way to continue operating with many fewer resources, there's no other way to say it. We're not going to have the funding we need to operate, and we'll have to make major changes as the result of that," she said.

Gist said the State will cut the Tulsa Public Schools budget by an estimated $7 - $20 million next year.

2/25/2016 Related Story: Tulsa Superintendent: 4-Day Week, Other Changes Possible

She's outlined the savings of fewer teachers and larger classes by up to four students, saving $9.6 million. Cutting 15 percent of the administrative jobs would save $2.4 million.

The district has figures on the savings of a four-day school week, cutting athletics, fine arts and bus service - and something on the list, said Gist, is all but certain.

“Some combination of those ideas and others will happen. They were absolutely put out there not to scare anyone, but rather to illustrate the magnitude of what we expect will be coming,” Gist said.

For school board president, Lana Turner-Addison, at least the four-day week is off the table.

"We wouldn't be for a four-day week. Five days," she said.

Turner-Addison said cuts will impact the classroom - the question is, how much.

"We're going to do all we can to protect our teachers and staff members, but we're going to have to take a look at it. We can't spend what we don't have," she said.

The cuts we're talking about won't take effect until the fall, so the school board has some time to come up with options.

But, if education shares the cuts equally with other state departments that would be 16 percent - that's the $20 million figure TPS is talking about.