BY STACI WILSON

Montrose school board members are struggling to close a $700,000 deficit in the proposed nearly $26 million 2016-17 budget.

The deficit exists with the district raising taxes to the index and utilizing the remaining $300,000 in natural gas lease funds.

But several bus contractors told the board they weren’t happy that the district planned to change some of their longtime routes in an effort to close up some of that budget gap.

Changes in three bus routes would have saved the district $42,000 per year, according to a figure quoted by one bus contractor. But she said, the contractors would be losing money.

Transportation director Wanda Harris said the main reason for the changes was that there are many empty miles on the buses and the changes attempted to get the buses closer to where the routes run in order to maximize reimbursement.

Several contractors that would be affected by the change said they were not notified it was even being discussed until after the finance committee meeting.

Board member Paul Adams said the district is under severe financial pressure and the board is looking for areas to cut money. “The impact is not lost on us,” he said. “We take very seriously the impact (to the bus contractors) as well as the teachers.”

Contractor Jim Ainey – one of the three that would be affected by the proposed changed routes – said the cost for the contractors has gone up more than the pay over the years. “If you don’t do something for us,” he said, “we’re not going to be here. We’re not in this as a community service. We need to make a profit.”

Ainey said he found about the route changes after the finance meeting. “I wasn’t even consulted,” he said. “I think I deserve that after 40 years.”

The board adopted the preliminary budget but said they would examine transportation closer and work with contractors in a committee meeting.

As discussion returned to the budget deficit, School Director Richard Jordan said no one had come forward to offer areas that could be cut.

The district has no control of pension or cyber-charter school costs that eat up a large chunk of the budget. “It’s not the district’s or the teacher’s fault,” Adams said. “But together we have to come up with a solution.”

Board vice president Douglas Wilcox said, “I wish we could say that everybody was going to be happy but I don’t think that’s going to be the case.”