JEFFERSON COUNTY - Many school districts across Colorado are being forced to make tough decisions due to tight budgets.
Friday, the Jefferson County School District unveiled its first draft of next year's budget proposal. In it, nearly 600 jobs are at risk of being cut in the next two years.
Superintendent Dr. Cindy Stevenson says she has been preparing for this for years. With the continuing economic struggles combined with other funds expiring, she knew that the 2012 school year was going to be tough.
"Most people know, we built our reserves and so Jeffco has been softened a bit. We've been cushioned as a school district because we spent down those reserves. Well, we're at the point where we can't do that to that great of an extent anymore," Stevenson said.
The Jefferson County School Board has been presented with a proposal that cuts more than $47 million for next year.
The cuts include a reduction of 590 jobs total from administration to custodial to teachers in the next two years. The music department and librarians are taking big hits.
"It's a lot of jobs and I think that we have to remember that those are citizens of Jefferson County who shop here, who live here, who contribute to the economy of Jeffco," Stevenson said. Every part of the organization will have to look at how to do work differently. How to continue our focus on excellence and our focus on children?"
At the elementary school level, 194 teachers would be cut - an average of two teachers per school.
"That's significant. When you start looking at class size, when you start looking at how we group kids, two teachers in a building in an elementary school is very significant," Stevenson said. "What you have to remember is it's not just the elementary schools - that ripple effect will be felt for several years, clear through to our marching bands."
Kerrie Dallman, the president of the teachers union on Jefferson County, says she is concerned about the proposal, in particular the job cuts to the music programs and to the librarians.
Right now, union members are being surveyed to determine how they should approach this issue.
It's important to remember this proposal is a first draft and it will change by the time it is voted on in the spring, but Stevenson says the worst may not be over.
"We're not done yet. If worst-case scenario occurs in the state, we have another $23 million to find," Stevenson said.
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