In an emotional discussion about how to balance next year's budget, Rapid City School Board members stayed late Thursday night to give administrators the first round of suggested cuts for next year, including closing one elementary school.

School officials need to cut $4 million to $6 million from the district's operating budget so the district doesn't fall into the red by 2010.

Board members agreed early in the evening, with most suggesting cuts in high school security support and grounds watering, but disagreed when discussing closing Horace Mann Elementary School, cutting the elementary library program and reducing travel expenditures.

State law says school closures must be approved by December of the year before the closure, but business and finance director Dave Janak said the district checked with legal counsel, and a court could declare the district in an emergency and waive the deadline.

Board president Sheryl Kirkeby said she was open for revisiting the topic later, maybe even in another year, but she couldn't support closing the school next year because of the short notice for staff and students.

"I don't feel that's fair," she said.

Board member Doug Kinniburgh said the results of a recent facilities study show the school is not adequate. He suggested the students and staff be moved to the newly built General Beadle Elementary School nearby, which he said is big enough to accommodate them.

In a later interview, Assistant Superintendent for Student Achievement Katie Bray said Horace Mann staff would not lose their jobs. The closure would amount to about $456,000 in savings.

Superintendent Peter Wharton said he knows it would be short notice to close the school next year, but he would feel comfortable knowing the kids would be going to a new school with a "substantially better learning environment."

Horace Mann discussions were a small part of the evening, with many of the board members repeating how painful it was to have to suggest cutting programs they believed in.

Administrators released an initial list of $2.9 million of proposed cuts last month and encouraged input from the community during the last three weeks, then compiled all of the data to create a new, larger list.

Administrators shaved that list down to 89 cuts before Thursday night, when each board member came to a special work-study session with at least $2 million of suggested cuts.

The suggestions will be used by administrators and business and finance director Dave Janak to build the 2008-09 budget. The board members only made suggestions and did not vote on any cuts. They will vote on the preliminary budget at Thursday's board meeting.

The largest proposed cuts of the evening were elementary library media specialists, with a cost savings of $517,621 and a reduction in the Virtual High School program of $298,000.

One of the more sensitive items on the list was a line item for salary compensation at $784,939, with negotiations ongoing with all bargaining groups.

Janak reminded the board that they must approve a preliminary budget in a week.

"We need to, by the 15th, have made some pretty significant decisions," he said.

The unfortunate thing, he said, and many echoed, was that it might not be the last time the board will have to make decisions like this.

"I think we're going to be back here next year," he said.

Proposed cuts

The Rapid City school board proposed the following budget cuts Thursday. The final decision on the 2008-09 budget will be made Thursday, May 15.

Reduce Virtual High School program $298,000

Cut elementary library program $517,621

Cut Technical High School administrator $73,175

Cut trainer for tech staff $53,975

Cut two Career Learning Center employees $107,950

Cut custodians $150,000

Cut support services secretary $37,000

Cut high school security support $60,000

Reduce grounds watering $85,000

Restructure administration $91,016 or more

Cut travel, registration, dues, fees $200,000

Close Horace Mann Elementary School $456,000

Equalize support specialist time $53,975

No increase in travel expense for activities $120,000

Replace activities director w/staff $100,000

Eliminate elementary daily planners $18,000

Cut secretarial staff $37,000

Contact Kayla Gahagan at 394-8410 or kayla.gahagan@rapidcityjournal.com.