Durham Public School Board members said proposed cuts were too much Thursday night. They're going to ask for $2.1 million more from the county than the Superintendent initially proposed a few weeks ago.

"This is the budget for 33,000 children," School Board member Minnie Forte-Brown said.

The initial proposed cuts meant about $5.1 million from the County. The total anticipated reduction, including state funds, would be about $17.8 million and would mean at least 377 staff member reductions.

Board member Steve Martin said $185,000 of the $2.1 million more they're asking for will go to save ENCORE, which is an after school program. About half of the children in that program are eligible for free or reduced lunch, board members said Thursday.

About $320,000 more will go toward instructional supplies. The balance will help retain positions that are currently scheduled for elimination.

Before the Board made its decision, DPS administrators said it was already hard to tell how many teachers will be on the payroll.

"We have to have the money to pay them when the time comes next year so looking at all those uncertain revenue sources," Hurd said. "For example, we still don't know what the House budget looks like. We know what the Senate budget looks like and it looks to us that the Senate budget might be our best-case scenario, which is going to reduce 226 teaching positions and 377 positions overall."

The Superintendent's proposed budget broke it down:

• Elimination of 40 central service support positions ($2 million)
• Elimination of 48 classroom support positions for the schools ($2.4 million)
• Reduction of local funds for staff development activities ($0.3 million)
• Reduction of local supply and material funds ($0.4 million)
• Increased student-teacher ratios at schools (80 positions, $4.1 million)
• Reduced classroom support to match student enrollment (98 positions, $4.9 million)
• Reduced teacher assistant positions (81 positions, $2.2 million)
• Redirected new in Fiscal Year 2008 - 2009 Exceptional Children support positions to IDEA federal stimulus funds (30 positions, $1.5 million)

Adding to the problem: DPS teachers who will be here next year have to be on contract by June 1.

"We're having to make educated guesses based on the revenue streams we think are going to happen and just hope that we don't miss because if we miss - it's not going to be very pleasant," Hurd said. "We have to heir on the side of being conservative, i.e. having fewer positions than we can afford, and hopefully hire them back. But we certainly don't want to mitigate several years of hard work of recruiting the great staff that we have. And if we have to let teachers go - and then try to hire them back after school starts - that's not a good experience either."

 The Board of Education meets with County Commissioners in joint session on May 28th.