NORTH MANCHESTER - The Manchester Community School Corp. wants to be prepared for the worst-case scenario.

"I don't have a crystal ball; I don't know what's going to happen," said Manchester business manager Steve Shumaker. "Maybe it's not going to be as bad as we think, but we have to be prepared."

"There is nothing optimistic in the state budget," said Superintendent Diana Showalter.

Tuesday night in the Manchester High School media center, the Manchester Community School Board heard a cost reduction plan that is intended to protect the corporation in case of state budget cuts.

"The cost reduction plan is for review," said Showalter. "We are not asking for approval tonight. That will happen at next week's meeting."

Shumaker explained that cuts made in last year's budget were necessary to "stop the bleeding ... and get ourselves financially healthy."

He also said this year's budget was figured on numbers that were similar to last year's numbers. In December, it was believe that funding from the state would be "no worse than flatlining, with no substantial adjustments."

Then in mid-February, numbers came in giving Shumaker reason to believe that there would be a $350,000 reduction in basic funds for the 2006 and 2007 budgets.

At the end of March, yet another set of numbers was received. Those numbers showed nearly $500,000 reduction in basic funds for the 2006 and 2007 budgets.

"A lot of corporations are trying to ride out the first year, hoping it's going to change," said Shumaker. "There's no way they can ride it out the second year. ... We are a declining enrollment school. ... We have to get ourselves in a position to make possible reductions.

"This is unprecedented in state history, the reduction in education funds. We don't have a choice, we are not going to get the money."

"It's a situation where we are caught in the middle," said Showalter. "This is not a fun situation, but we are dealing with it."

The cost reduction plan will create one school out of the middle school and the high school.

"Both schools will be under one umbrella, two buildings will be one school," said Showalter. "It will be Manchester Junior-Senior High School."

Administration positions would be combined and reduced under the new plan. The junior-senior high school would share a principal and assistant principal, while the Laketon Elementary principal would add transportation director to his title. The MCS business manager also would become the director of facilities.

Seven teachers could be eliminated due to reduction in force. Those positions include: MJHS social studies, MJHS English, Laketon Elementary School art, MES kindergarten, MJHS family and consumer science and LES/MJHS special education.

Reductions in contracts would affect LES physical education as well as MHS agricultural science, industrial technology, Spanish and French.

Three positions would be eliminated under the plan: MJHS audiovisual assistant, maintenance/transportation director and MJHS principal.

Three courses would be eliminated under the plan: beginning and advanced publications, French I and Manchester Junior High School consumer science.

None of the plans are finalized, but unless budget numbers from the state improve, the changes may be necessary.

In other business, the board:

• Scheduled a contract cancellation hearing May 9 at 7 p.m. at Maple Park Education Center for Amy Ambrose.

• Approved a recommendation for nonrenewal of Rebecca Richert's teaching contract due to RIF, effective at the end of the 2004-05 school year.

• Approved a recommendation for cancellation of Amy Lambert's teaching contract due to RIF effective at the end of the 2004-05 school year.

• Approved Abby Sleeth to transfer from second-grade teacher at MES to MJHS/LES special education teacher for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved Gary Goshert to remain full time at MHS but add two sections of health and physical education instead of two sections of lunch supervision for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved Jerry Bolinger to maintain eight sections of industrial technology and reduce one section of supervision for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved Dave Zinmeister to remain full time at MHS with the elimination of beginning and advanced publications and the addition of English sections for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved Rhonda Snover to remain full time, teaching ninth- and 11th-grade English at MHS and eighth-grade English at MJHS for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved a reduction in contract from eight sections to four sections of Spanish at MHS for Sandy Calaway for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved a reduction in contract from six sections to two sections of French at MHS for Shelly Walgamuth for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved Marilyn Mason Sexton as vocal music teacher for MJHS and MHS for the 2005-06 school year.

• Approved a board meeting date change from May 17 to May 24. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at Maple Park Educational Center.

• Approved an instructional time waiver so students do not have to make up a partial day of school missed for bad weather.

• Approved a student's request for early graduation after the fall semester of the 2005-06 school year. The student will enter the Marines and begin boot camp in February 2006.

• Approved dates for the Jump Start Program. The program for kindergarten and first-grade students is Aug 1-12 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. each day.

• Reappointed Vicki Ferringer to a fourth term as a public library board member.

• Approved Sunday for after-prom activities May 15 at Manchester High School.

• Approved overnight professional leave requests for Randy Self and Nancy Alspaugh to attend the summer meeting at the Institute for Behavior and Health in Washington, D.C., June 26-27.

• Approved the acceptance of a Professional Development Grant for $6,601.11. [[In-content Ad]]