Area School Districts Begin Looking At Ways To Handle Budget Shortfalls

School districts across the Lake region are worried about their budgets as we head into the new school year.

Last week Governor Mike Parson announced there would be more than $130 Million dollars cut from The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which is challenging for the Lake’s rural school districts.

Gary Cuendet is the Transportation Director for Camdenton R3 Schools. He tells KY3 TV one way they save money is by having school buses that are of the same brand, and they buy fuel in advance.

Cuendet says it would be nearly impossible to join bus routes together due to the size of the district.

As far as staffing and new programs are concerned, some districts are putting it on hold for now.

Superintendent Dr. Shawn Poyser of the Warsaw R9 School District.

He says the budget cuts the state has made to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education hit the lake area districts harder than major cities.

One of the ways they’re cutting back is by switching to a 4-day school week, which reduces their transportation costs.