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Chris Proffitt/Eyewitness News
Carmel - Fresh off $1.5 million in budget cuts in March, Carmel Clay Schools are looking at an even larger deficit next year.
The cuts last spring eliminated 19 teaching positions and further reductions could cost even more teachers their jobs.
"We're working on a plan that will be as good as it can be when you have to cut $3 million, but it will impact teaching and learning, as well as other parts of our district," said Superintendent Dr. Barb Underwood.
Underwood says the state education funding formula put Carmel and other schools in a bind, creating rising deficits that have led to teacher and staff cuts. With Carmel facing a $3 million deficit next year, administrators say $2 million in cuts will likely come from teaching ranks - about 35 jobs.
The district is still negotiating a new teacher contract and the outcome of that could raise the deficit to at least $4 million next year. Like Hamilton Southeastern, Carmel will likely ask the public to help cut the deficit in a May referendum, which would increase property taxes for the next seven years.
Hamilton Southeastern is putting a referendum before voters in November to help erase a $5 million deficit. Just last week, the school board voted to sue the state, maintaining that the growing district is the victim of inequity in school funding.
"Everything is on hold until we address our fundamental funding issue and it's time that process needs to be reviewed and maybe politics need to be out of it," said HSE Superintendent Dr. Brian Smith.
Hamilton Southeastern, Carmel and other school districts facing multi-million dollar deficits are facing tough choices - to cut jobs, make classes bigger, sue for a bigger share of funding or hope that voters are willing to sacrifice their own money to ensure excellence in the classroom.
