By Mark Bashore, WKAR News
EAST LANSING, MI – The Lansing School Board will vote this evening on a $176 million budget for the coming school year. The plan would eliminate a roughly $15-million deficit with a 10% across-the-board spending cut. That includes the elimination of about 70 staff positions, 27 of which are teachers. Board President Hugh Clarke Junior says some of those positions could be refilled: "You project a loss of x-number of students...if your loss is not as great, then there's certainly the opportunity to look at restaffing some positions to meet that need."
The district also is closing Grand River and Moores Park elementary schools due to falling enrollment and dwindling state aid. Michigan's local school boards are legally required to pass balanced budgets by June 30.