Republican state Senator Wayne Schmidt , who chairs the K-12 appropriations subcommittee, says school districts might see cuts of between 10-30 percent because of the coronavirus.
Brian Pearson is the Superintendent of Gaylord Community Schools. He says there’s no question those kinds of cuts will impact staff.
“You can’t make cuts without reducing, freezing salaries making some reductions in staff. There’s only so much you can cut with tables and chairs.”
The budget shortfall is still preliminary. A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget said they will have a clearer picture on Friday after the revenue estimating conference.
But, the spokesperson said, devastating cuts to education and other key priorities are a “real possibility.”
