Madison schools may be going to voters to close an $8.6 million budget shortfall. Thursday, they outlined where cuts may be made if there's no new money.
Superintendent Art Rainwater says those proposed cuts include 131 jobs across the district. Ninety-two of those are teaching positions including psychologists, counselors and classroom teachers. In addition, eight custodians would be cut.
One program that would be eliminated is elementary string music for 4th and 5th graders. Rainwater says, "When you get down to the final decisions and your priorities are children learning to read, do mathematics and be safe in school, and have the kind of supports that they need, we're at the point now in our budget process that we're not gonna be the same as we were, and things like elementary school strings are the kinds of things we won't be able to do.”
Under the proposal, no athletics would be cut completely, but it would mean fewer lower level or C teams than there are now.
The cuts would not have to be made if voters pass a referendum, but then property taxes would go up.
