Col. Falls schools plan budget meetings

The Columbia Falls School District has scheduled two public meetings to discuss its projected 2010-11 budget shortfall.

School officials anticipate a $500,000 shortfall in next year’s budget, which the district hopes to alleviate by making cuts to programs and personnel.

One possible option is closing Canyon Elementary School in Hungry Horse, which costs about $950,000 a year to operate.

District officials will discuss this option and explain the projected shortfall at meetings scheduled for Jan. 27 at Canyon Elementary, located at 200 North St., Hungry Horse, and Jan. 28 at the district’s central office, 501 Sixth Ave. W. in Columbia Falls.

Both meetings start at 7 p.m.

The budget shortfall is primarily due to declining enrollment in Columbia Falls schools. The district’s overall enrollment has dropped 11 percent over the last decade, according to figures from the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools Office.

As enrollment drops, a district’s state funding decreases. School officials don’t expect student populations to climb in the near future, which means the district’s budget will continue to shrink.

Rather than ask voters to approve a levy to make up the half-million-dollar shortfall, Columbia Falls plans to make cuts to make up the difference.

If Canyon Elementary doesn’t close, other jobs and programs in the district are in jeopardy, school officials say.