ARLEE — The Arlee school district is facing significant budget cuts for the upcoming school year. Although the district will not settle on a finalized budget until Aug. 14, administrators are bracing for an approximate reduction of 20 percent.

The elementary school stands to absorb the brunt of the cutbacks, with Superintendent George Linthicum estimating that the slash in funding at that level alone could approach $350,000.

“There is no exact reason [for the cuts],” Linthicum said. “A perfect storm of small expenditures and other factors came together.”

The district has responded by dismissing three teachers from the elementary school staff and “tightening up all over.” Even with the staff cuts, Linthicum said that he expects the scarcity of resources to have a minimal effect on programs offered by the district.

“We’re still going to have the same programming, just with fewer staff. We’re better utilizing our same people,” Linthicum said.

“The high school is in better shape [than the elementary school],” he added.

Linthicum admits that the cuts are not ideal, but believes that the district has settled on a “functional” plan of action.

Though the fiscal limitations certainly present challenges, Linthicum is hopeful that the top-down reevaluation of expenditures will boost the district’s efficiency in the long run. He hopes that the next legislative session in state government will increase revenue streams available to the school.

“We have to adjust our lifestyle in the interim,” he said. “This is one of the harsh realities that had to be dealt with.”

The Board of Trustees of the Arlee Joint School District No. 8 will meet at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 14, at the Administration Building at Arlee Schools for the purpose of considering and adopting the final budget of the district.

The meeting of the trustees may be continued from day to day until the district’s final budget is adopted. Any taxpayer in the district may appear at the meeting and be heard for or against any part of the proposed budget.