GREENE – School Administrative District 52 directors voted Thursday evening to cut a special education teaching position at Leavitt Area High School and three educational technician positions to lower the proposed budget to $26.2 million for 2017-18.

“Caseloads at the high school are substantially lower than at our other schools,” Superintendent Kimberly Brandt said about the special education teaching position. “We are not saying that this will not be more challenging for staff, because it will be. We are saying that we can potentially make this cut and still meet students needs.”

The board also voted to cut $1,000 from school board supplies, eliminating food at meetings.

The board voted against cutting three more teaching positions at Turner Elementary School, Greene Central School and Leeds Central School.

Directors revisited cuts to the IXL Learning Company at all schools and ukuleles from the high school music department. They also agreed to revisit the restructuring of the technology staff, which would merge the education technology coordinator and the network manager into one position.

“Our No. 1 goal is to meet our students’ needs and we have suggested cuts that will allow us to continue to meet our students’ needs,” Brandt said.

The next budget workshop will be at 6 p.m. April 6 at Leeds Central School where the board will  vote to adopt a final budget.

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