Budget woes could force school closings

BILOXI — The school system in Biloxi is trying to cut $3.5 million from its budget and that means some Biloxi children could be attending different schools in August.

WLOX television reports that among the plans being considered is the closure of three schools.

Biloxi School Superintendent Paul Tisdale says closing schools would save money in utilities, custodial work, and employee salaries.

Some parents are already expressing worries that their children will have to travel farther or will face crowded classrooms.

Allyson Culpepper, parent of a student at Beauvoir Elementary, one of the schools being considered for closure, says she worries about overcrowding at other schools.

She’s also concerned about the teachers at Beauvoir. “All those teachers would lose their jobs. They would have no jobs and there’s no sense in them having to lose their jobs,” she said.

Tisdale and school officials say cuts are needed in part because after Hurricane Katrina the district lost 1,300 students, and therefore, $5.5 million in state funding.