TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) -
Plan for deep cuts now and hope that will make the tough times hurt less. This is Tucson Unified School District's approach to the public right now as it asks how to bridge a $17 million budget gap next summer.
A handful of people filled
out comment cards and spoke to the board about their concerns about
closing schools.
The board took comments
from the public tonight about how it has been forming plans to bridge an
anticipated $17 million budget deficit next summer.
It has three scenarios if proposition 204 doesn't pass and three if it does.
If it doesn't, the
scenarios go from balancing the cuts between cutting administration and other
services and closing 13 schools, to more focus on school closures while
having teacher raises and decreasing class size. All to keep the district
attractive.
Some complain the process
feels rushed or say the turnout tonight, about fifty including board
members, is disappointing because people don't know what schools will be
closed.
But others say closures
are unavoidable and will help focus resources on students.
"Achievement
improved with the students because more money was spent in the classroom, they
had better library services and better nurse services and that's what I'm for,
better services for the children. Pay
more attention to the children than the buildings," said Ruth Blunier, a district resident.
"TUSD doesn't
seem to have asked people, 'if we don't close them, how can we change them so
we can afford to keep them?' I don't think that's a question they've ever
asked,'" said Tres English, former TUSD student and parent.
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