Belen Schools officials will discuss how to reduce the district's budget next week after the state told administrators to cut their general operational fund by 3.2 percent to help fix a revenue shortfall statewide.

The New Mexico Public Education Department sent a memorandum July 28 to all 89 school districts saying that the state Board of Finance must reduce the general fund allotments to all state agencies. The reduction is expected to be approved at the board's meeting in the next two weeks.

Superintendent Patricia Rael said there are no plans for layoffs or furloughs, and said officials want to cut other places before looking at areas that would affect students in a greater capacity.

"We are still reviewing ideas," Rael said of the $1 million reduction to the 2010-11 budget. "But the good news is that there are still no cuts in staff."

Rael said the district has saved money through attrition, and said there are no changes to class schedules or programs as of yet. She said officials want to cut other places rather than places that could impact students the most. A budget workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 4.

"We plan on continuing programs at all of our sites," Rael said.

The superintendent said the cuts would mean the district will receive $100,000 less per month for the next 10 months as part of the current budget. She would not comment on potential cuts that will be presented to the board next week.

But the superintendent said she wants parents to partner together to ask legislators about limiting budget cuts.

Jamie Goldberg, the school board president, said the district estimates it saved $20,000 to $30,000 over the summer by closing school sites and housing teachers and other district staff at the Belen High School. He said the district also cut back on its gas consumption in the summer months.

"Every little bit helps," Goldberg said. "We have conserved a lot, and it's helping us now."

In May, the board told staff there would be no layoffs, no furloughs and no reduction in pay after the district finalized a $31 million budget for this year.

Business and Finance Director Ted Osborn said the district is paying some of its staff through different revenue sources other than the operational budget to help combat the cuts.

"The list is not formalized," Osborn said. "I can't tell you what is on the list, but it could potentially impact programming in our schools because the majority of the staff is paid out of operational funds."

There is talk of adding a seventh period at the middle school that would give students more classes for the upcoming year, according to curriculum director Geneva Nixon.

The move would mean shortened classes for students. But students will have 15 additional minutes of instruction time this year compared to last year per the agreement between the district and the National Education Association.

Belen Middle School Principal Buddy Dillow said officials are working on creating a new schedule since the school recently lost one of its teachers. He said the school has five fewer teachers than last year.

Parents were concerned that honors classes at the middle school would be cut due to budget constraints.

"We are going to have advanced classes," Dillow said. "The students are going to be challenged."

But Osborn said the district is going through something that all other districts have to deal with for the upcoming year.

"Districts have to look at everything," Osborn said. "We have started that process."

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