Hannibal’s Board of Education is restoring two jobs it had reduced, and will commit to a full year of modified sports.
At a recent meeting, the board decided to use savings from a change of health insurance providers to fund the restorations.
The district will restore a nurse’s position and a guidance counselor’s job to full time. The positions had been cut to part-time during the discussion of budget cuts prior to the May budget vote.
At the time the cut was made, board members were told that reducing a nurse’s job to half time would leave one school building without a nurse on duty.
Hannibal will also offer modified sports for the entire year. The board approved offering modified sports for the winter and spring seasons.
The district made many cuts to fill a $600,000 gap between income and expenses projected for the 2011-12 budget.
Hannibal was hit disproportionately hard by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s education aid cut. In addition, the district faces another large increase in its mandatory contribution to the pension system for its state workers.
Another large increase in pension contributions is scheduled for the next budget, and the state’s projected $3.5 billion deficit may lead to more reductions in state aid to education. The next budget will be the first under the state’s new 2% tax cap law.
