Education

The Shelby County School Board on Thursday approved almost $2 million in cuts for its 2013-14 budget that could result in the loss of 26 positions across the school district.

Acting on recommendations from the its budget committee, the board approved about $2.2 million in cost reductions, but other adjustments left total savings in the general fund at almost $1.9 million.

The Shelby County School Board heard on Thursday a report from Shelby County High School Principal Eddie Oakley and district Director of Elementary Schools Cindy French on the AdvancED Accreditation program, which the district is planning to follow.

SCHS is the only accredited school in the district, earning the distinction in 2008-09 school year, Oakley’s first as principal.

The Shelby County Board of Education on Thursday will get its first chance to make changes and begin the process of trying to balance the 2013-14 budget by hearing recommendations from budget committee. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. at Wright Elementary School, 500 Rocket Lane.

At its meeting on Jan. 24, the board was presented an unbalanced draft budget, a big departure from normal practice, with the promise of budget recommendations this month.

The district’s school board members are in for a bit of a shock when they take their first look at the district’s 2013-14 draft budget during Thursday’s meeting.

Superintendent James Neihof told the board on Jan. 10 that the draft budget would be unbalanced.

“I want you to see the expenses and receipts as they are before we show you the cuts that our budget committee has been working on,” he said then. They will at 7 p.m. at the district’s offices, 1155 Main Street in Shelbyville.