RAYTOWN, Mo. – Facing a budget shortfall, Raytown public school board members approved several cost-cutting measures during their meeting Monday night.
The district will release students 75 minutes early each Wednesday for teacher planning. That move will help save the district $80,000 a year. Also, Raytown schools will no longer budget for band equipment repairs.
Board members said the most difficult cut involves reducing enrollment at Northwood Elementary.
The district advertises quality schools. Places like Northwood School allow it, parents said.
It is a place for 49 mentally and physically handicapped children to learn, grown and develop without teasing and without feeling uncomfortable.
However, to a degree, things are changing.
Raytown’s school board voted to slash Northwood’s enrollment in half. Currently, 24 Northwood students live outside the Raytown school district. 12 other metro districts send students to Northwood. Still, the revenue generated is insufficient, Raytown school officials said.
So, despite pleas from parents and teachers for other solutions, the board decided to refuse to accept kids from other districts starting next year.
Raytown will save more than $200,000. However, parents like Keith Nighswonger said the move will cost special needs children a lot.
“I think it will have a devastating impact because the special needs kids have a very, very hard time adjusting to new environments,” Nighswonger said.
