CHADRON, Neb. - Despite an administration warning that the Chadron school system will likely lose more than $160,000 in state aid, the district's Board of Education on Thursday voted 3-2 not to eliminate one of three teaching posts at the Alpha school, a rural attendance center that may have only 22 students next year.

School superintendent Sherlock Hirning had recommended reducing the staff there from three teachers to two, and transferring the teacher to an opening position in town, as a cost-cutting measure.

The move was opposed by some parents, however, who said reducing the teaching staff at Alpha might be a prelude to additional cuts to the district's four rural attendance centers, which they said have been successful at educating students as well as economical to operate.

Voting to retain the three teacher positions at Alpha were board members Terri Haynes, Tracy Nobiling and Sandy Roes. Opposed were Dave Noble and Keith Drinkwalter. Board president Charley Kuskie had to leave the meeting during an extended closed session discussion and did not vote.

"In budget cutting, rural schools have already taken quite a hit. I'm not prepared to approve any more," Haynes, who is from Whitney, said before the board entered the executive session, a sentiment that Roes, a rural Dawes County resident, said expressed her opinion, as well.

Discussion of the rural school issue was preceded by Hirning's update on recent developments in the Nebraska legislature's adjustments to the formula used to determine how much state money each district receives. "State aid is still very uncertain. The latest unofficial calculation is (Chadron) will likely lose $167,000, but that's still very tentative," Hirning said.

A final decision from the legislature won't be known until June 1, and Chadron's loss could be greater than that amount, Hirning said. Because current projections indicate that one item - the rural site allowance - could be reduced by more than $700,000, "I fear we could lose more than $167,000," he said.