$6.1M budget approved by New Bloomfield school board

After cutting 10 jobs and two programs last month, the New Bloomfield R-3 Board of Education Thursday night approved unanimously a $6.1 million budget for 2011-12 school year.

The seven-member board accepted what fiscal consultant Jason Hoffman termed "a tight budget with no across-the-board salary hikes."

Before the board approved the budget, they decided to provide reimbursement to four teachers who took college courses to obtain advanced degrees.

Board President Gracia Backer said the teachers underwent the expense for the additional college courses expecting to receive a salary reimbursement for their additional training.

But after Hoffman explained that future budgets until 2014 are also likely to be extremely tight, Backer said teachers now should be put on notice that the board may not be able to offer such reimbursement in the future.

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.