The Bluewater District School Board has been able to make some cuts to its 2008-2009 budget.
The board has cut 700 thousand dollars from the budget — 200 thousand dollars from the school budgets and 500 thousand from staff development.
The board also found just over 108 thousand dollars through budget adjustments.
Director of Education Mary Anne Alton says the board now faces a deficit of 1.4 million dollars down from 2.2 million which was forecasted earlier this month.
Alton says the 1.4 million dollar deficit also takes into account 1.3 million dollars in pay equity.
She says the pay equity is an on-going deficit from when the school boards amalgamated.
Board Chair Ross King says the students’ education is being compromised by this 1.3 million dollars.
He says the board will try to pay off the debt if money is available, but adds they will not jeopardize the quality of education for the students because of it.
Alton says due to declining enrolment they are seeing a decrease in provincial funding to help offset their expenses.
She says along with the on-going pay equity deficit, its very hard for a small school board to have a balanced budget.
The total school board budget comes in at over 185 thousand dollars.
