With a minimum $500,000 budget shortfall anticipated next year, Kalispell Public Schools officials know they’ll have to make cuts.

But to determine where those cuts will come from, district administrators and trustees are turning to staff and the community for help. This week the district will post a survey on its website asking people for suggestions on areas where schools should cut back.

“The intent of it is for staff and the community to provide some input and their perspective on priorities of what we should enhance, maintain or reduce,” Superintendent Darlene Schottle said.

Schottle said she would present a final survey draft to school board trustees at their regular meeting Tuesday. The survey will be posted shortly thereafter, she said.

The survey contains budget-saving suggestions Schottle has collected from staff members, trustees, parent groups and e-mails from community members.

“It’s a brainstorm list of everything people suggested to date, not necessarily in any prioritized order at this time,” she said.

The survey divides suggestions into six categories: revenue enhancement; staff reduction; materials, supplies and services; noninstructional programs; school and instructional design; and other.

Those who take the survey should know up front that “this is an input process, not a voting process,” Schottle added. Just because an item receives the most votes for elimination doesn’t automatically mean it will be cut.

The district “wants people to look at how each item on the list will impact education for students,” she said.

To get people to fully think through what a cut might mean, estimated savings will not be listed on the survey, Schottle said.

“Dollar amounts could actually be distracting,” she said. “The real issue is, what do you see as important for services for students?”

The survey will be available at www.sd5.k12.mt.us.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.