Tulsa Public Schools will present its board with another proposal to deal with state budget cuts of up to 20 million next school year.
TPS has up to another $1.6 million in savings outlined for the board’s consideration. The bulk of it, as much as $1.4 million, comes from adjusting bell times. Starting some schools earlier and others later will mean TPS will have fewer buses on the road at any given time.
"Because we have fewer buses on the road at the same time means we have fewer drivers, reduced fuel costs, reduced maintenance and actually, in some cases, can retire some buses," said Superintendent Deborah Gist.
The rest of the proposed amount would come from athletics. TPS could save about $205,000 by combining some seventh- and eighth-grade programs into combined teams; eliminating trips more than 75 miles; not rescheduling games canceled by weather; and reducing coaching stipends in swimming, golf, tennis and cross-country.
"We were trying to find some changes to athletics that would save money while also having a smaller number of students affected by those changes," Gist said.
Gist said it’s getting harder to make cuts only to be told more are coming.
"This entire process is quite heartbreaking," Gist said.
The TPS board will vote on an earlier staffing reduction proposal Monday and Gist’s new proposal Wednesday.
