Havre Public Schools facing chance of more budget cuts

Havre Public Schools is looking at additional annual cuts of about $156,000 on top of the already projected cuts of $100,000, the Havre Public Schools superintendent told board trustees Tuesday night.

Superintendent Andy Carlson told trustees in their monthly meeting in the Havre Middle School that, at the time, the cuts will most likely be in the form of transportation and state block grants. However, he added, it's difficult to tell the way things will ultimately pan out in the special legislative session.

"What I say now can be wrong in the next hour," Carlson said.

Although the amount is uncertain, Carlson said, the district will incur cuts of, at a minimum, $156,000. The proposal, dubbed Senate Bill 2, will, allow the district to dig into its reserves, he added.

Upcoming cuts had already been implemented before Senate Bill 2, the result of a state budget passed earlier in the year. Before the school year started, Carlson said the Havre school district was projected to lose about $100,000 a year, a cut that was not planned on.

The Montana Legislature passed a budget earlier in the year projecting $2.2 billion in revenue. The revenue projections have dropped, leaving that budget now $227 million in the red with the current projections.

Carlson said he he doesn't believe the legislators who voted for the cuts "fully comprehend the impact it would have on the local districts."

Havre Middle School Principal Dustin Kraske told trustees that staff are working with students who are struggling in various subjects to get them up to speed. Staff have met "quite a bit" to collaborate on how best to ensure students are learning.