Tippecanoe School Corp. paints grim picture for budget cuts

During a school board work session and business meeting Wednesday, Tippecanoe School Corp. officials laid out items they say are on the table for cuts. They include:

• Reductions in force or layoffs for teachers and other staff.

• Hiring freeze for custodial staff positions, effective immediately.

• Redefining the middle school concept used, including taking away communications and foreign language classes and reducing the number of periods in a day.

• Eliminating elementary school special classes, including physical education, art, music and media or library.

• Eliminating elementary counselors and remediation.

• Reducing the number of paid extracurricular and coaching positions available at the middle school and high school levels. Both Harrison and McCutcheon high school have already been asked to cut $25,000 from extracurricular spending.

• Suspending the early college program, in which TSC pays for students to take classes at Purdue or Ivy Tech.

• End the practice of paying for students' AP exams.

• Reduce the size of high school departments and the number of courses offered.

• Substantially reduce summer school offerings.

• Eliminate or reduce the number of extended contracts or supplemental contracts for teachers who work beyond the school year.

• Reduce money paid for alternative education and adult education programs.

• Cut school supply budgets by 5 percent, on top of the 5 percent cut instituted in 2009.

Meranda Watling/mwatling@jconline.com