The Duchesne County School Board has whittled away at most of its $1.7 million budget shortfall for the coming fiscal year but must still cut another $188,000 before mid-June.

Dee Miles, the school district's business administrator, broke down the potential budget crisis for the board at a four hour meeting Thursday night.

According to Miles, the initial shortage of $1.7 million will be offset by the following changes:

? The state's elimination of five quality teaching days = $695,000

? Weighted pupil unit growth = $125,000

? Secure Rural Schools funds (money paid to school districts for Forest Service and other federal lands within their boundaries) = $290,000

? The voted leeway tax = $400,000 (if the board choose to accelerate its implementation and collect four years' worth)

? The elimination of four positions left vacant by retirement, resignation, or transfer = $219,000

? Transferring the supplies budget from the general fund to the capital fund = $100,000

? Transferring part of the athletics budget from the general fund to the recreation fund = $50,000

On the other side of the ledger, however, Miles told the board that the school district will have to spend $138,000 next fiscal year for class size reduction teachers and $35,000 for mentors for new teachers. Add to that a $254,000 to pay steps and lanes to qualifying teachers, and Miles said the district's 2009-10 budget is $188,000 in the red.

Earlier in the meeting – during a discussion about non-resident students – Miles said the district loses an estimated $77,000 annually in funding for K-8 students who live in Uintah County but attend school in Duchesne County.

“The problem is, closing that border is like closing the Mexican border,” Miles quipped when a board member suggested closing Duchesne County schools to non-residents student.

Other board members presented some alternatives to help resolve the district's budget crisis.

Gordon Moon said he'd been approached about the lack of cuts for athletic programs in the district. Moon suggested requiring all high school principals to cut their athletic budgets by 6 percent, the amount of the state's cut to the district's budget. He said those cuts should affect not only coaches and individual programs, but travel as well.

The suggestion prompted a discussion about trimming the mileage for all school trips. Miles said many of the district's elementary schools don't use their entire mileage allotment each year so a cut wouldn't affect them. He said it would take some time to determine how much savings the district would realize if it cut athletics and travel funding.

Another cost-cutting measure proposed was eliminating a half day from the 2009-10 school year that is scheduled for April 1. The move would be a furlough, in effect, for all district employees that Miles said would save an estimated $80,000.

Without any other cuts, that would still leave the budget $108,000 in deficit.

The district does have reserve funds; however, board members have hesitated to move that money into the general fund because the state has told them to expect up to a 16 percent budget cut for 2010-11.

The school board will meet again on June 10 at the district office in Duchesne. It is required to adopt its FY2009-10 budget by June 22.