KY3 reports changes at Aurora School system

AURORA, Mo. -- If you're looking for kids who love school <#>, you need
only look as far as the younger set.

"We have 5-year-olds and 8-year-olds. They come in with smiles," said
David Mais, assistant principal at Aurora's Pate Early Childhood Center.

Their teachers return the favor, but behind those smiles are some
nerves. The Aurora School District recently announced it's going to
have to cut 5 percent over this year, or $1 million, from next year's
spending.

"We cut the fat away last year, and so this year I'm afraid we're going
to have to get into the meat of it," said district Superintendent Dan
Decker.

In the past, the district received grants to start programs. To
maintain them, it's been spending into its reserves.

"Not only do we have to right the ship and stop spending into our
reserves, but we also have to build those reserves back," Decker said.

This time around, that comes at the cost of five teachers.

"No one wants to be told your position has been eliminated," said Mais.

That's exactly what he was told, however. Mais has already seen the
effects of these cuts. Last year, Pate lost teachers to attrition,
sending its student-to-teacher ratio in the kindergarten classrooms
from 15 to 1 to closer to 20 to 1.

"It's a bad deal, but it's the direction we have to go," said Decker.

As they await a legislative verdict on school funding <#> for next year,
Aurora's administrators will continue to evaluate its bottom line,
looking at everything from professional development to the electric bill.

"We're trying to look into the future and see what we can do to keep
from making these cuts in the future, and give our folks here some sense
of security," he said.

As district employees look forward, they're hoping for the same.

"God has a plan for me, and I'll be okay with wherever I land," said Mais.

In addition, the district is looking at contracting for custodial work
and transportation, and is also planning to make cuts to extracurricular
activities. It's eliminated freshman-specific teams, and
they're evaluating their programs with higher per-student expenses.