The proposal asked for $25 million, the only increase throughout the comprehensive plan, in order to pay for an increasing number of students who rely on the Free and Reduced-Price Meals System and English for Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL) services.

Over the past two years, 120 central office positions and $80 million have already been cut from existing services. Hiring freezes and expenditure restrictions were also enacted to save approximately $50 million.

"This budget will simply allow us to maintain the same level of programs and services we are offering our students now," said Weast in a press release. "It also will allow us to keep up with our enrollment growth and provide for the needs of all our children."

The superintendent is required by the Board of Education (BOE) to submit a list of potential reductions as a supplement to the annual operating budget, in case the budget does not receive county funding. The amount of reduction to the budget depends on how much local funding is received compared to the amount required by the Maintenance of Effort (MOE), the fiscal effort a county must maintain in order to be eligible for a full federal grant. If the county cannot meet MOE requirements, the state aid to the county is reduced, subsequently leading to cuts in the school system in order to meet the lack of funding.

"There was disagreement last year about how to implement MOE in the county," said Principal Christopher Garran. "The school system ended up loaning some money to the council in order to cover some of the MOE. [The] state decided that that was an inappropriate way to do it, and has said that we [the county] have violated the MOE and can face a fine for that."

The amount the county receives in local funding - which has yet to be announced - will determine the fine.

"We haven't been told yet what that fine will be, but that absolutely could have a significant impact on the budget," said Garran. "[It] seems a little strange that the state deals with the fact that the school system does not have enough money by fining them and taking millions of dollars from them, but that's sort of what's there right now. There are some people in the legislature that want to change that but we'll have to wait and see how all of that plays out."

The entire process and results will become finalized in the beginning of June 2010, when the BOE announces its final action on the operating budget.

Garran said that this will not affect the construction of the school, as it is funded by a capital budget. Meanwhile, as the decision is still months away, Garran declined to hypothesize on any potential cuts in the staff or new positions at the school to support the proposed growth of ESOL.

"Right now, there's absolutely nothing that ties any cut to a specific person or any specific staff member," he said. "It's just that [Weast has] put forth some possibilities  and some people thought that they might fit into a category."