Andrea Thomas, The Paper of Montgomery County Managing Editor

Due to massive funding cuts from the state of Indiana, local school districts are facing significant challenges in keeping their general budgets balanced. Within Crawfordsville Community Schools, budget cuts could include the reduction of as many as 16 teachers and the closing of the Beard Learning Center.

On Thursday night, the school board met at the center and heard testimonies from its teachers on the advantages students have from attending class at a building designated specifically for them. Faith Osborne, a student who participates in the alternative high school program CARE, wrote a letter to the board urging members not to close the building.

"When I started going to the Alternative school (CARE) it was because of my grades," she wrote. "I was at CHS getting C's-F's. Neither I nor my mother was too proud of that ... my schooling was suffering severely."

Should administrators close the building, they plan to relocate its programs (such as Credit Recovery, High School Alternative and adult education) to different locations within the school system. They may even look into renting space or asking local organizations to donate space to maintain a separate location for students seeking alternative education.

Although closing the building is not ideal, Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Steele said it may be necessary as opposed to cutting another classroom teacher.

Still, some position cuts are unavoidable. The school corporation has about $1.3 million to cut from its general operating fund, about 90 percent of which is designated toward teaching staff.

As many as 16 teachers this year have been or will be notified that their positions may be cut, reduced or changed. The official discussion will not take place until the April board meeting, as the superintendent has until May 1 to notify teachers who will be affected by a reduction in force.

Other cuts include a reduction in custodians, the elimination of cell phones for administrators, decreased custodial and secretarial hours, retirements and reduced aid positions, playground and lunch supervisors.

"This is a very difficult thing to do," Steele said. "This is a sad time."