COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The worst he has seen in his career. That is what Cheyenne Mountain School District 12 Superintendent Walt Cooper said about the state's budget situation for K-12 education.
He said his district is fortunate in the fact that they do not have to spend a lot of money outside their schools on things like transportation.
"The downside of that is when we are faced with issues like we are presently faced, the vast majority of those reductions have to come at the school level, and that means people and programs," Cooper said.
Cooper said the board of education has already decided to cut the district's elementary spanish program, which will save them about a quarter of a million dollars.
He said around 14 teaching positions will also be eliminated by the start of the next school year.
"About ten of those positions we hope to eliminate through attrition, but the reality of the situation is we have people working for us this year that will not be working for district 12 next year, and that is sad," Cooper said.
Cooper does not anticipate the district having to use furlough days, but he did say there will be a salary freeze on all district employees for the 2010-2011 school year.
"I think it could get worse from here, we know for a fact that in the School Finance Act right now they have already amended it to show that 2011-2012 is going to be the same as the 2010-2011 school year, so this is not a one year drastic cut," Cooper said.
Cooper said the district will most likely have to approach their voters with a mill levy override in the coming years.
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