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Kahoka, MO – The Clark County R-1 School District must finish next year's budget by June 30. The spending plan is expected to be about $8.5-million.
Superintendent Ritchie Kracht says the process is getting more difficult each day. He says the latest hurdle is a proposed $175-million dollar cut in education funding.
Kracht says Clark County was facing a 4% cut in state funding for the 2010-2011 school year. He says the reduction could now be as high as 10%.
Clark County receives about $3.25-million dollars a year in state aid. So a 10% cut would equal $325,000.
Kracht says the district is trying to avoid lay-offs while maintaining class sizes. He says building, transportation, and technology budgets will be trimmed while vacant positions could go unfilled.
Kracht says Missouri's schools are taking a big hit, next year, because they have avoided major reductions in recent years.
The Clark County R-1 School Board will meet June 28 to review the spending plan for the 2010-2011 school year.
Meanwhile, the Clark County R-1 School District is moving ahead with nearly $1-million worth of construction projects.
Voters gave the district permission to borrow about $4-million for a wide variety of projects. The school board recently accepted bids for five of them
A firm out of Jefferson City will replace the Blackhawk Elementary roof, the Running Fox Elementary roof, and part of the Clark County Middle School roof.
Kracht says the total cost for the three projects is about $600,000. He says the school board was pleased with the bids because they came in around the engineering estimates.
The Clark R-1 County School Board has also accepted a $270,000 bid from Seither & Cherry (Keokuk) to upgrade the Middle School's electrical and HVAC systems. Harper & Sons will also build a new Middle School security entrance for about $82,000.
Kracht says the next round of bids for projects will come in July 27.