WJJQ LOCAL NEWS
Merrill holding public hearing on cuts

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Merrill Area Public schools will be having a special school board meeting to discuss budget-cutting proposals.

The Merrill school district needs to cut about $1.4 million from its $40.5 million budget for the 2012-13 school year. Members of the board emphasized that the scheduled meeting is the community's opportunity to weigh in on the proposal.

The biggest change would be closing the Pine River and Maple Grove elementary schools, which would save the district around $260,000. The closing of those rural elementary schools appear to be the most controversial and is opposed by many parents. The students in those schools would then go to other elementary schools in the district and 5th graders would be moved to the middle school.

Some of the other 14 cost-cutting measures include increasing insurance deductibles which would save $75,000, lowering a planned salary increase saving $124,000, and cutting the boys hockey program at $35,000.

Interim superintendent Bruce Anderson says the district's structural deficit is caused by decreased state funding tied to declining enrollment which is expected to continue.

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