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SALT LAKE CITY -- School districts now will have to decide whether or not to shorten the school year next year to save money.
A handful of school districts and charter schools cut up to five school days this year to save money and avoid layoffs. Now the Utah State Board of Education has voted to allow them to decide whether or not to do it again next year.
Murray City School District spokeswoman D. Wright says the district cut one school day last year, but had four furlough days for non-teachers. The district will carefully make a decision for next year.
"We do the best we can, first and foremost to keep the kids in school, and second to do whatever we can do to make it as least impactful on the teachers as possible," Wright says.
She says it is a decision best left to individual districts. She says district officials will take their budget recommendations to the district board of education in the coming weeks, and the board will vote on it.
"The superintendent and the business administrator will then go to every one of the schools in the district and meet with the faculty and present the exact impact of these budgetary changes," she says. "They will handle any questions the teachers and staff may have."
The Granite School District cut two days this school year, and the spokesman says the district is happy to have the flexibility to do something like that next year.
The Jordan School District says it will not be cutting days because it is a short-term fix and they have a unique long-term problem.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
