During its retreat last weekend,

the Coweta County Board of Education got the gloomy forecast for the upcoming

budget year.

Comptroller Keith Chapman told

the board members they were facing possible cuts from the state of more

than $10 million.

"We won't know the

exact amount until April after the General Assembly has adjourned,"

said public information officer Dean Jackson.

One of the biggest cuts the

system approved was just over $3 million by upping the student-teacher

ratio in the elementary schools. The system will adjust the class sizes

in first grade from 17 students to 20 student, which will still be under

the state standard of 23, Jackson added.

Another major area cut was

in reducing planning times for middle and high school teachers. The system

will save over $3 million by cutting the teacher's planning period

from 50 minutes to 25 minutes and having them teach the additinal 25 minutes.

Other cuts approved by the

board included:

- $285,000 in cuts at

the central office.

- $1.5 million by postponing

the new textbook adoption.

- $138,000 by eliminating

the night high school.

- $ 425,000 by eliminating

the master teachers in high school.

- $135,000 in cutting

the signing supplements.

Jackson said the school system

will be monitoring the General Assembly's budget actions and continue

to adjust their proposed budget for next year.