Concord Community Schools earlier this week announced it would have to cut 11 teaching jobs for next school year. Five other teachers had their contracts reduced.
The district has done everything it can to save by other means -- retirements and pay cuts for administrators, for example. Now, in another local school district, the cuts are going to affect students in a different way.
The Middlebury school board on Tuesday cut freshman, sixth-grade and B-team sports and some other extracurricular activities from its schools for next year, saving a total of $56,000. So the question becomes: Is such a small savings worth it?
Sports and extracurricular activities such as pep band and aerospace club offer students a chance to grow outside the classroom. They teach young people to work with others, keep them fit and give them something constructive to do after school and on weekends.
So where can Middlebury find the money to re-institute the programs? Some coaches have offered to volunteer their services, which only proves -- once again -- their dedication to the students. That's a start.
Students and parents can also hold fundraisers, but many local organizations are competing for limited dollars already.
Food for thought: Elkhart schools administrators' salaries were cut by 4 percent for next year and the superintendent offered to cut his salary 5 percent. The ECS board cut its own pay by 5 percent. Middlebury's administrators took a 1 percent cut, saving only $16,000.
Middlebury's attempts to offer free tuition to lure students from other school districts won't do any good if it has no extracurricular activities to offer alongside its strong educational program. School is primarily about academics, but it also includes a proper balance of other activities as well.
There's still time for Middlebury school board members to find other cuts. For the sake of their students, they need to try.