More Cuts Possible In Baltimore City School System

BALTIMORE -- A bloated school budget could lead to even more pink slips and 11 News has learned that the Baltimore City school system is set to make another round of deep and painful cuts.

Official word could come down within 24 hours when we'll find out more about the possible cuts and the latest numbers on a growing $52 million budget deficit, WBAL-TV 11 News education reporter Tim Tooten reported.

Video

Baltimore City Schools May Consider New Cuts

So far, most of the layoffs and furloughs have been made at school board headquarters. But a new round of cuts could affect even more employees in the central office. The city school board president, Patricia Welch, said the cuts will be painful, but necessary.

"You know that most of our budget really is devoted to personnel, so we have to consider cutting into human beings. That's very difficult because we believe that all the people that we have are performing the functions that we want," Welch said.

At last check, the district had a $52 million deficit. That's up from $41 million in May and $31 million in February. Just a year ago, school officials reported the a $14 million shortfall.

'We don't believe that the number that has been reported will be any different. It's just, how do we go about making sure we get the kind of system in place to prevent the kinds of things that happened before, happen again?" Welch said.

Mark Smolarz, the city's chief financial officer, stepped down last month and was replaced by an interim chief, and a former state lawmaker, who has already forecasted even more tough times ahead, Tooten reported.

WBAL-TV has learned that school board members will get a budget report from the administration Tuesday and it could have details of more cuts and the status of the deficit, Tooten said.

Stay with TheWBALChannel.com and WBAL-TV 11 News for the latest education news updates.