Toltec board discusses closing a school to fix $570K budget deficit

by Kevin Reagan | Casa Grande Dispatch

Toltec School District Superintendent Jeff Van Handel warned school board members Wednesday night that nothing he had to say was going to be pleasant.

The district is facing a budget deficit of about $570,000 in the next fiscal year, forcing the school board to make some tough decisions in the coming weeks. The superintendent presented a list of potential cost-cutting ideas, most of which wouldn’t singularly balance the budget.

The one idea that could potentially save the district up to $1 million may also end up costing the district more money in the long run, according to Van Handel. Closing one of the district’s two schools would save a substantial amount of money but the superintendent said there are some caveats to that decision.

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