The Duneland School Corporation is now projecting it will lose $1.3 million in state funding this year, as a result of the recent funding cuts ordered by Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Duneland Superintendent Dirk Baer said the school system doesn’t have the final number yet, but that he expects the monthly check that Duneland gets from the state for tuition support will be at least $100,000 less than what it has been.

How the Duneland Schools will handle the funding loss will be discussed at Tuesday’s Duneland School Board meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. in the Administration Center, 601 W. Morgan Ave.

Baer said he will address the budget situation in broad terms and will not yet present any specific recommendations on where the school board may need to cut. He said he may have information availabe to how how much could be saved through attrition through teacher retirements.

He also said that specific budget cuts -- which may include staff reductions -- might be presented at a special meeting later this month or in February.

The Duneland Schools began this year already bracing for a budget shortfall in the range of $3 million to $4 million, due to several factors, including less state support than previously estimated and impacts from the late property tax bills. At the last board meeting, Baer issued a public warning that potentially painful cuts would be needed.

But then came Daniels’ announcement that because of the dire state revenues, schools statewide will share in approximately $300 million in state cuts from their state tuition support. The cuts are to begin this month.

The state has long provided tuition support to schools, but beginning in 2009, the state took over the entire general fund expenses for public schools in Indiana, as part of statewide property tax reforms that also included a hike in the state sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent.

The school board meeting normally would have been held on Monday of last week, but board members rescheduled it to Tuesday.

The meeting will begin with annual reorganizational business, with election of officers, establishment of board salaries, and the board meeting calendar.

The agenda also includes a presentation by Chesterton Middle School, a refinance of pension bonds, and approval of bus bids.

Posted 1/11/2010