UPDATED INFORMATION: (3/21/09)

Superintendent Ron Heilmann says the school board's vote not to lay off kindergarten aides will have a bigger effect on the budget than he thought Monday night.

At last night's board meeting Heilmann told the board it would cost $170,000 to bring back 4.5 kindergarten aides. Tuesday, he called to tell WEAU 13 News that decision will actually add between $440,000 and $560,000 to the district's deficit because it would keep between 11 and 14 aides on staff.

That means the district is still facing between a $1.15 and $1.27 million deficit. Heilmann says the board will have to vote at its next meeting whether it wants to go ahead with that reversal. The aides were among the more than 40 support staff employees that were eliminated earlier this month.

MONDAY NIGHT'S SCRIPT: (3/20)

For the first time, the Eau Claire School Board is forced to cut teacher jobs. But, the superintendent says the district is now within $790,000 of balancing its budget.

Monday night was a night full of tough cuts for the board. Sixteen people took to the mic during public comment in front of a standing room only crowd. Then, before they eliminated anything, board members decided to reverse a previous decision to cut 4.5 kindergarten teachers aides. That reversal added $170,000 back to what started out as a $4.1 million budget deficit.

Monday night board members voted to eliminate:

--6 high school teachers (saving $390,000)
--1.1 Part-time Library/Media Specialists
--2 Art Specialists (by changing art time from 1 hour to 45 minutes a week at elementary schools)
--1.5 Early Learning Jobs
--2 Asst. Football Coaches
--District Funded Field Trips

Board members decided to save:

--6 Bus Routes (Walking Distance Will Stay at 1 Mile)
--Custodial Weekend Overtime (allowing for weekend sporting, theater and music events)
--5 High School Athletic Teams
--JV Hockey
--Intramurals

The board voted yes to raising extracurricular fees next year.

Superintendent Ron Heilmann says the district still needs to come up with $790,000. But, he says he thinks the worst of the cuts are over.

HERE ARE LINKS TO THE EAU CLAIRE SCHOOL DISTRICTS REPORTS ON THE CUTS:

BUDGET REDUCTIONS: Transportation/Field Trips

BUDGET REDUCTIONS: Extra-Curriculars

BUDGET REDUCTIONS: Personnel-Related

BUDGET REDUCTIONS: Other