School districts across Oklahoma trimming budgets

Budget cuts for education statewide. School districts are planning for a possible 10% cut from this fall's budget - but they won't know the exact number for at least another month. <br><br>News

Tuesday, April 2nd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Budget cuts for education statewide. School districts are planning for a possible 10% cut from this fall's budget - but they won't know the exact number for at least another month.

News on Six reporter Emory Bryan says the students at Catoosa High School are drawing pictures from scratch - but down the hall - budget planners may have to think about erasing special programs like this one, a luxury in budgetary hard times. Catoosa School Superintendent Darrell Gwartney, "In talking with our teachers, we've told them it's not of our doing." Gwartney is about to mail letters telling 15 teachers they probably won't be rehired next year. "We're looking at 15 teaching positions to reduce, we have several support positions to reduce, over $133,000 of administrative positions to reduce, there are very few areas of school operations that will be untagged."

The cuts will reach the classroom at Catoosa - and nearly every other district. The State House decides how much money goes for education - and this year - the budget will be flat at best - at worst - a deep cut. And this year, the uncertainty is a big part of the problem.

Union School Superintendent Cathy Burden, "We're pretty much left in the dark to plan a budget that's required by law without any the real figures." At Union Public schools - the cuts, if they come, will be absorbed by attrition and no layoffs are planned. "In the worst case scenario, we can expect our class size to go up because we don't have the budget to hire the new teachers for the new students that will be coming into our classrooms.â€

Smaller school districts like Catoosa are in the worst shape - with little room to cut budgets without cutting people. They're required to tell teachers by April 10th if they won't be rehired - but won't know whether or not they have the money until the last day of the legislature - at the end of May.

Here's how some of the numbers break down for Tulsa Public Schools. The district has a $250-million budget. $137-million - or 87% - of the total, pays for salaries. The district considers a five percent cut the worst scenario. That would be $12.5-million.