The Urbana District 116 School Board of Education has approved $2,278,800 in budget cuts for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

The cuts range from extracirricular programs to full-time teacher positions.

“Each cut affects students in some way, whether or not it’s cutting a program like third grade swimming, or sending out RIF (Reduction in Force) notices, or laying off 139 faculty and support personnel,“ said Urbana school district Spokesman Mark Schultz.

An RIF is a notice of being laid off from a government position with the potential to be immediately rehired if funding comes through.

Schultz said they have to lay off people whose positions are funded by grants until they know how much the state will give.

“If they can find grant money, they’ll keep the position. The school district tax dollars will not pay for that position,” Schultz said.

He said 139 employees of the school district are being forced under an RIF because they do not know if they will have enough money to keep those positions.

“By law, the teachers and faculty have to know 60 days before the end of school whether or not they’re going to be hired back next year. We don’t know what the state’s going to have until at least June 30,” Schultz said.

Urbana school board President John Dimit said Urbana has not needed a budget cut this large in 10 years.

“I’ve been through several budget cuts, but I’ve never had to cut into the actual classroom teachers.” Dimit said. “In times past, we’ve nibbled around the edges. This time around, we’ve gone right for the heart of the matter and cut classroom teachers.”

He said the magnitude of the cuts are due to the lack of action in Springfield, and they need to get their budget house in order.

Gayle Jeffries, assistant superintendent of human resources for the district, said 17 teachers were cut from next year’s budget: six from elementary schools, six from middle schools and five from high schools.

Jeffries said current class sizes are around 20, but with the cuts they may increase to 23.

“Classes will be a little larger; however, they will still be within the limits of the contract,” she said.

Schultz said the 139 faculty under the RIFs will be laid off June 30, but the district should know by July 1 if grant money that could potentially help keep these positions will come through. However, Schultz said grant money has not always been determined by July 1 like it is supposed to. Sometimes, he said, the verdict on the grant money is delayed until August or September.

“There’s not a state budget that tells us how much money we’re going to be allocated next year,” Jeffries said. “So naturally the school districts have to operate on the reserves until they find out what’s going to be available for them.”