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Possible budget cuts could affect public schools

Columbia City Hall
KBIA file photo

The Missouri National Education Association is warning of the fallout for public schools if congress does not act to avoid the so called fiscal cliff.   

Chris Guinther, president of the Missouri National Education Association says these changes will significantly affect low income and special needs students. She says the cuts included in the sequestration are just too much of a burden on the state’s education system.

“The across the board cuts could mean as many as 1000 more jobs in public education lost impacting up to 90,000 students from head start all the way to college age,” says Guinther.

Guinther says school budgets have already taken a hit from congressional cuts and future budget decreases will only have negative effects.

“One of the comparisons we’ve made is that if all these cuts are made, it will take public education funding back to the levels of 2003 with over 5 million more students and costing 25% more to educate each student,” says Guinther.

Columbia Public School District board member Christine King says although there is a lot of uncertainty of what would happen if the cuts went through, the district is in a good place.

“Our district is sitting in pretty good shape because we have been very conservative over the last several years with our budget for the opening of battle and our local economy is pretty strong," says King.

King says the board will continue to talk about how the possible budget cuts could affect the district.