PORT ANGELES — Slash all athletics and music programs.
Cease almost all busing for students to and from schools.
Shutter Choice Community School.
These are just three of 28 recommended cuts listed by the Port Angeles School District if the latest maintenance and operations levy try fails to win 60 percent voter approval in May.
The list of cutbacks to save more than $4.5 million next school year was given to the School Board by its fiscal advisory committee Monday night.
The list also includes cutting all new textbook purchases, laying off more than 20 teachers and slashing the maintenance department budget by 15 percent.
Two scenarios
Charged by the School Board several weeks ago with presenting two budget scenarios — one assuming the levy passes and another if it fails — the committee met several times over the last few weeks going over possible cuts.
Slashing all athletic and music programs, school busing and closing Choice Community School would save the district about $1.4 million.
The next maintenance and operations levy ballot — which proposes a tax rate of $2.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation — will be mailed to voters April 27 and will be due back by May 17 at 8 p.m.
If passed, the two-year measure would raise approximately $6 million per year for the district starting with the 2006-07 school year.
A similar four-year levy failed last month, and the May attempt is the last chance for the district to seek to fill the funding gap before the new school year.
The maintenance and operations levy is designed to fill the 17 percent gap between state and federal funding and actual district operating expenses, district officials have said.
