By Andrea Calcagno & Faris Tanyos
 
February 23, 2009
 
ASHLAND, Ore. - The Ashland School District announced Monday that if it does not receive funding from the Oregon legislature, it will cut the equivalent of 20.5 full time teaching positions for the coming school year.
 
In addition to the 20.5 teaching positions, the district will also eliminate over 11 full time classified staff positions, one administration position, and more than 11 additional full time staff positions.
 
And there could be even more cuts. At an Ashland School Board meeting Tuesday night, officials said the district must now cut $3.5 million dollars from its budget for the 2009-2011 biennium, and in light of the dire state budget forecast last Friday, has asked the administration to begin working on cutting an additional $1.7 million, bringing the total cuts to $5.2 million.
 
"Last time we met with them, we thought at that point it was a $2.5 million reduction, but now we think its $3.5 million, and that's what we've been working with. But now that doesn't seem like it will be enough," says Ashland School District Superintendent Juli DiChiro.
 
Board members explained that the cuts to programs were taken evenly across the board.
 
The budget committee will meet with the school board again on March 9th to discuss the budget issue after they know for sure what the state legislature plans to do.
 
Oregon legislators were informed Friday that the budget deficit has grown to $850 million for the current biennium and will top $2.5 billion for 2009-11. State Economist Tom Potiowsky predicted a decline of about $100 million more for the current biennium than his preliminary forecast last month.