A recent state government mandate has forced Durham Public School officials to cut about $1.3 million from the school system's operating budget.

The school board has already issued memos calling for a 10 percent reduction in non-school department budgets and another memo requiring principals to get administrative approval before filling job vacancies.

According to school documents, the school system "... is currently reviewing all vacant positions to determine if they are critical for this fiscal year. [School] administration will be holding all non-instructional vacant positions as long as possible to help ... offset this budget cut."

According to DPS, "... the budget reduction is equivalent to returning [or eliminating] 23 classroom teacher positions."

School officials say, however, they do not expect that kind of action.

Instead, school maintenance projects will be put on hold, and the school system expects it will get $500,000 from the state in extra money due to increased bus ridership this year.

DPS staff will work out an updated budget and present it to the Durham School board at its regularly scheduled meeting on Dec 18.