School budgets are tight and school boards are taking action.

Three school districts — Blaine, Ferndale and Meridian — announced recently that they will be cutting staff for the 2008- 09 school year, with their school boards approving program and staff reductions.

School districts around the state are facing budget crunches for the next school year due to state mandated staff salary raises without state funds to pay for them, increased fuel and utility costs and flat or declining enrollment.

BLAINE

The school board approved a “reduction in program” Thursday night, giving the school district the go-ahead to cut staff hours and about $655,000 from the 2008-09 school year budget.

Since the budget meeting in April, district officials looked at written input from staff and reconsidered the amount of funding being cut from the state and federally funded programs, such as special education and English Language Learners. There is now $138,100 identified in cuts to bring the programs’ costs within the revenue received. The last budget breakdown showed $185,000 in cuts.

To make up that funding difference, district officials changed cuts in the following areas:

$16,000 in school board and superintendent costs for consultant services and professional development, up from $7,500.

$61,800 in administration and central services support, up from $35,000, mostly through medical benefit premium reductions, professional development and the assignment of one teaching period to the athletic director.

$31,600 from athletics, up from $20,000. This will be accomplished through leveling staffing and delaying uniform purchases for the year.

As district officials move through the budgeting process, which won’t be completed until July, they will continue to look for funds to add back to the special education program, staff hours and building budgets, according to Superintendent Ron Spanjer.

The school district will try to keep 6 percent of the 2008-09 budget in the general fund at the end of the school year as a reserve, which is a school board policy, but Spanjer is considering one-time costs that could be covered by reserves to lighten the load.

“We’re trying to be careful about where we spend the fund balance dollars because you can only spend them once,” Spanjer said.

FERNDALE

The Ferndale School Board voted Thursday night to allow school district officials to cut staff and programs for next school year.

If the school district doesn’t change anything, it faces about a $1.4 million deficit for the 2008- 09 school year, said Mark Deebach, the executive director of business and support services.

“We’ve been trimming every year with an eye on this year as the year we’re able to establish ourselves on firm financial footing and make the next step,” Deebach said. “So all the scrimping and saving has basically been spent by the Legislature.” At the often contentious meeting — packed with about 50 people in the audience — numerous people called for the school board and district officials to look for cuts everywhere in the budget and give people a chance to give up things before cutting staff.

“I’m really concerned our classes are going to be 30 people or more, which makes it even harder for us to be in an environment to learn,” said Stephanie Weiss, a sophomore at Ferndale High School. “It’s really hard to get one-on-one attention with 20 kids in the class.” No details about areas that would be cut or how many teachers are in jeopardy were released Thursday night. By law, school districts have to let staff know by May 15 if their jobs are in jeopardy for the next school year. The budget won’t be finalized until this summer.

“It’s our obligation to let people know they may be cut, but it doesn’t mean they will be,” said board member John Hruby. “If you see a list, that’s the worst case scenario — it may happen, but it doesn’t mean it will happen.”

MERIDIAN

The Meridian School District is facing close to a $500,000 budget deficit for the 2008-09 school year, causing Superintendent Tim Yeomans to call for a “reduction in force.” Beginning next school year, at least 10 staff members will be cut, from all areas of the district.

“It’s preschool all the way through high school,” Yeomans said. “There will be an effect at every single building.” The school board recently adopted a staff reduction plan that targets staff with “retire-rehire” and “leave replacement” contracts first. Earlier this year, staff was reduced at the district office, the first cut of the budget crunch.

“We are making steps to modify every aspect of the overall district program to realize cost savings before we impact staffing levels,” Yeomans wrote in a letter to staff and community members. “These steps include adjusting schedules and looking at how we can be more efficient in our day-to-day operations in schools and work sites.”

In his letter, Yeomans said that declining enrollment is one of the main reasons to reduce staff. This year, the district saw a reduction of 44 students in school buildings, and projections show enrollment will decline by another 32 students next school year.

The budget process will not be finalized until this summer, and Yeomans hopes they will figure out ways to keep more staff.

“Even with all of the challenges that we face, I am hopeful that we can emerge from this very difficult situation with a renewed focus on student learning,” he said.