WALHALLA — The Oconee County School Board of Trustees on Tuesday night unanimously approved second reading of its $84 million fiscal year 2010 general operations budget, but quickly acknowledged that it represents a moving target as far as state cuts are concerned.

Michael Thorsland, assistant superintendent for operational services, said the district has already sustained cuts representing more than $4.5 million during the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Making matters even worse, Thorsland said the fact that Gov. Mark Sanford refuses to accept stimulus money means the district is now looking at a total deficit of more than $6 million.

“There is no way the school district can absorb $6 million in cuts that doesn’t relate to salaries,” he said. “Over 87 percent of the school district budget relates to salaries.”

Thorsland said as many as 80 positions would have to be cut if the current economic climate fails to change and that some positions have already been included among cuts prioritized by the school district.

Whereas the district has already decided to discontinue funding of its parenting program, reduced its extracurricular allocation to schools, reduced per student allocations to schools by $20, cut its travel budget 75 percent from the previous year and reduced departmental budget requests, Thorsland said the next wave of priority cuts could be forthcoming.

A consistent employee work calendar, expiration of the county superintendent position and changes to the courtyard/grass-cutting contract are among the first priority items listed in the next wave of cuts. However, the list also includes elimination of the district level special education position, reduction of three clerical positions and reduction of school level administrative position and strict adherence to staffing standards.

“Most of the things we’ve recommended won’t affect the classroom, but we can’t make promises,” Thorsland said. “We’re still a few weeks away from knowing what state funding cuts will be and a few months from making a final recommendation.”

Thorsland said the Senate Finance Committee has proposed two budgets — one with stimulus funds and one without.

School district officials said School Resource Officers, used primarily at the middle and high school, are protected under the proposed 2010 budget. While officials also recommended two furlough days for employees working 190 days or more and four for administrators, some school board members expressed reluctance that teachers be included.

But Thorsland said teachers and school administrators represent more than $300,000 of the $350,000 in potential savings for each furlough day.

“If you take teachers out of it, you might as well not do it because that’s where you save money,” Thorsland said.

School Board Chairman Andy Inabinet said he would prefer not to furlough employees or reduce class sizes, but added, “If we have to cut $6 million, we have to do something.”

“We can’t take it all out of the fund balance,” Inabinet said.

Prior to council’s approval of second reading, a public hearing was held. Suzie Cornelius, of Mountain Rest, said she supports one budget reduction priority — albeit lower down the priority list — of moving coaches and instructional specialists back to the classroom.

“I think that is very positive,” Cornelius said.

But Cornelius expressed criticism of Dr. Ken Stevenson’s school district facilities study that included recommendations for a new Walhalla High School and a new Walhalla Middle School among the options.

“We do need to update our technological capabilities, but that doesn’t mean you have to have whole new schools,” she said.

Walhalla resident Berry Nichols told board members that he supports the governor’s stance on refusing to accept federal stimulus funds.

“If he accepts it, it’s going to be $700 million in debt for your grandchildren and mine to pay for it,” Nichols said.

But Inabinet said South Carolina would have to pay the money back regardless.

“If we don’t accept it, we’re still going to have to pay for it and they (federal government) will give it (money) to other states,” Inabinet said.

Lucas added that education and law enforcement agencies were the only two areas where the governor refused stimulus funding.

The superintendent said the school district welcomes any questions regarding the budget or school finances in general by calling the district office at 886-4400.

“We don’t try to hide anything,” Lucas said. “Our goal is to have transparency.”