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GRPS board OKs $10m in budget cuts
88 teachers, 8 staff affected
Updated: Monday, 07 Jun 2010, 11:28 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 07 Jun 2010, 11:11 AM EDT
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - One man was escorted out by security for yelling during the public comment portion of the Grand Rapids school board meeting Monday night in which next year's budget was approved by a 6-3 vote.
The budget includes around $10 million in cuts, partly because of a shift to more online classes. That plan sparked debate for months. The budget will eliminate 88 teaching positions and eight administrative positions.
"The closer it cuts to the classroom, the deeper the cuts get," GRPS school board member Tony Baker said.
Before the vote, members of the public made their final remarks at the meeting at Ottawa Hills High School. Nearly 100 people attended, and public and board comments lasted for more than one hour.
"A no-vote is a vote against all of our children," school board President Catherine Mueller said.
Many comments focused on where the cuts were being made and the practicality of the "blended learning" plan outlined in the budget. Blended learning combines technology and online instruction with more traditional teacher-student learning.
But the vote isn't necessarily final, district officials stressed. Depending on what GRPS hears from Lansing, it may actually lose less money than the budget had factored in.
Amendments could be made as early as next month.
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