A good news-bad news situation for Charlotte county schools. The good news is that the school board avoided layoffs in preparing its new budget, which will show a five-and-a-half million dollar shortfall for the coming school year. All needed staff reductions came through resignations and retirements. The bad news: that deficit remains. That will mean a program of scheduled furlough days for administrative staff and the elimination of paid planning days for teachers. Long-term, school leaders say more expenses may have to be cut.
