School board shortens Commerce school year

Though the school system won’t fill the positions of employees leaving, it does not expect layoffs for 2010-2011.

“We dodged a bullet,” superintendent James “Mac” McCoy said. “That’s all I can say.”

School will now start a week later Aug. 9 and end a week earlier May 20.

School leaders are bracing for a projected $1.5 million shortfall in next year’s budget as state funding for schools continues to decline.
Commerce Schools will save approximately $400,000 by not re-staffing jobs vacated by retirement or resignation. Still, more reduction was needed, which meant either employees or school days had to go.

Reducing the calendar by 10 days will save the system approximately $550,000.

A variety of additional cost-cutting measures will be implemented to make up for the remaining $500,000 of the deficit, including a reduction of local teaching supplements across the board. McCoy said he’s not certain of that percentage decrease yet.

Despite dropping from 180 to 170 student days, McCoy said the system would still exceed the minimum number of instructional minutes required each year. But, with fewer days on the calendar, any inclement weather days in 2010-2011 would have to be made up.