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Last updated on Thursday, March 19, 2015
(BEDFORD) - North Lawrence Community Schools are facing a funding shortfall after a drop in student enrollment.
Superintendent Gary Conner reported the number of students dropped by 75 between September to February, according to the Average Daily Membership count.
Conner estimates the corporation will receive about $195,000 less than the allotment received for the fall, creating some difficult challenges.
Conner told the school board officials will have to activate a cost reduction plan in order to remain solvent.
Steve Ritter, NL director of maintenance, reported the winter weather had caused few problems for school facilities.
"Everything went fairly well," he said. "I checked the salt and sand yesterday. We used about half of our barn full. We'll replenish that this summer."
Ritter said he had been approached by the local Knights of Columbus group, whose members asked for suggestions on what they could pursue as a project. Knights of Columbus have a long history of supporting the special education students in the school system by initiating projects funded through an annual sale of Tootsie Rolls.
"We would like to put a canopy on the south side of Parkview Primary," Ritter said, adding that special needs students now are having to leave the buses without immediate access to a covered area during inclement weather. He said Knights of Columbus are willing to work toward getting a canopy at the building, but Ritter added, "They want an estimate on what it would cost before they start to build." Ritter told board members he would seek the estimates.
The board will meet again at 6 p.m. Thursday.
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