School Districts Facing Large Budget Cuts (TX)

January 14, 2011

The state budget shortfall in the next fiscal year is forcing the San Antonio Independent School District to cut back.

The district is scrambling for ways to cut $20 million to $40 million dollars and several ideas remain on the table.

"This is an extreme budget shortfall that we are hearing about and we expect the impact on public education to be large," said SAISD spokeswoman Leslie Price.

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In a board meeting on Tuesday, several cost-cutting ideas were thrown around, including one that is growing in popularity around the country: a four-day school week.

According to Price, going to the abbreviated school week could save the district about $2.5 million; however, it is not something the district is considering right away.

"A four-day work week would actually take legislative action, because of the number of teaching days required, so it’s not something we are recommending at this time. But everything is still on the table," said Price.

The four-day work week is already being instituted at Our Lady of the Hills Regional Catholic High School, a private school in Kerrville. While it appears to have been launched successfully, no public schools in Texas have made the switch, and Price said the school district is looking at other alternatives.

"In the near term, what we are looking at, is instituting a hiring freeze. That is under way," said Price.

Other possibilities include outsourcing and an employee incentive program for those contemplating retirement. Price said the overall goal is for everyone to keep their job.

"We want, wherever possible, to also maintain jobs. Right now, with the kind of restructuring programs that we are looking at, we believe the attrition could handle that without anyone losing their job. We would have openings and vacancies that people could apply for," said Price.

The next board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday; however, the district will likely wait to make any final decisions until exact shortfall numbers are received from the state.