Bangor -
The Bangor School District is bracing for severe budget cuts.
At a school board meeting on Wednesday night, Superintendent Dr. Betsy Webb delivered a budget update.
Webb says she's anticipating cuts to a degree of about 272-thousand dollars in the coming year.
The cuts come as a result of Governor LePage’s proposal to slash 13-million dollars from the state's Department Of Education, as part of his 35-million dollar curtailment order to state government agencies.
That decision must still pass through state legislature; however Webb heard rumors of the cuts in December and implemented a budget and hiring freeze at that time.
“We're looking at a number of expenditure lines, and looking for lines that have a balance, putting in that budget freeze only for the most essential expenditures to happen in the second half of the year, so that we can absorb an additional 272-thousand being cut out of our budget,” explained Webb.
Also at that meeting, Principal Paul Butler of Bangor High School explained the school's new pilot program "Work Ready".
Despite the cuts, the school is partnering with the Eastern Maine Development Corporation for a program that will certify students as being prepared to enter the workforce though a series of objectives, leading them to employment.