Warsaw Community Schools could potentially reduce its budget by more than $2.6 million if it enacts all the ideas Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz presented at the budget forum Wednesday night.

Along with the list of budget cut ideas, Hintz also presented the results of the online community budget survey.

Last night's meeting was the second of two public forums on ways to reduce the budget. A recommendation will be made to the school board at its April 26 meeting on the cuts. The board's finance committee will review the preliminary recommendation at its April 19 meeting. The school board may vote on cancellation of teacher contracts, if needed, at its May 24 meeting.

Because Indiana is generating less revenue, Gov. Mitch Daniels ordered a $300 million cut to all public schools. Warsaw School Board approved a budget of about $45.1 million for 2010, but with the budget cut, it's expected to be about $42.7 million. The forecast for 2011 is expected to be worse. With its fund cash balance and Rainy Day Fund balance, WCS is expected to have a total cash balance in 2010 of almost $5 million, but only $2.5 million in 2011.

Warsaw Schools wants to reduce its budget by $2.2 million. The draft of ideas Hintz presented totaled an estimated $2,608,507. The list was compiled into five categories - administration, certified staff, non-program, supplies and support.

"Our target is $2.2 million so we've identified more than we need. ... This helps us build a cushion as well," said Hintz.

Under administration, the suggestions include eliminating the associate athletic director position, reducing administrative positions and reducing summer school administration. Those suggestions would save about $309,000.

Five suggestions under certified staff could potentially save $1,004,200. Those ideas include the retirement incentive buy out, eliminating a part-time teaching position, reducing staff development activities, reducing substitute pay from $81 to $76 and reducing the high school's Wednesday after-school suspension program.

WCS wants 25 full-time employees to take advantage of the retirement incentive buy out. As of Wednesday, 10 have signed up. Hintz said the deadline for that has been extended to May 14.

Non-program budget reductions could possibly save WCS up to $864,000. Suggestions include charging for personal appliances, capital project fund silo relief, eliminate Performance Tracker/Assessment Builder, grant-supported travel only, reducing custodial supplies by 10 percent, reducing district energy consumption, reducing food provided for meetings, reducing memberships, reduction of color printing, requiring direct deposit for all employees and using cash management services.

By reducing supplies, equipment and copies, WCS could save $150,000 in the supplies category.

Seven ideas were suggested for saving $281,307 in the support category. Those include eliminating a food service office staff position, eliminating a grounds maintenance position, installing proximity time clock system, reducing elementary assistant paraprofessional hours, reducing nurse services, reducing overtime by 25 percent, and shifting computer lab managers from the general fund to the CPF

As of this week, 205 persons completed the online survey. Of those, 59 were patrons, 107 WCS parents, eight were students, 35 were WCS employees and 27 said they were "other".

In that survey, 139 said they do not support increasing the number of students in each classroom. Sixty-four said they would support it.

A majority of the survey takers supported reducing the hours for non-instructional staff, reducing the administrative staff, reducing professional development and associated travel for all employees, increasing school facility rental fees for the community and reshaping the employee healthcare medical plan.

All but eight persons supported WCS disposing of excess buildings and equipment. The vote was nearly even on charging student participation fees for extracurricular activities and clubs.

While 128 were in favor of freezing wages for all school employees, 74 were opposed. A majority of 181 were in favor of achieving staff reductions through resignations and retirements, while 22 were opposed.

A large number of respondents did not support charging employees for use of personal heaters, microwaves, refrigerators or other appliances on school grounds, or reducing instructional supplies allocations for classroom teachers.