Glenda Merwine was set to retire from her position as director of student learning for the Coupeville School District, but now it looks like she may continue working next year — only not as many hours.

That would allow the school district to keep an administrator familiar with the district’s plans while providing some wiggle room for what looks to be a tight budget for the coming school year.

The Coupeville School Board will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss the possibility of having Merwine serve half time. It would require shifting some of her duties to Superintendent Bill Myhr and the three school principals, Fran McCarthy, David Eversole and Sheldon Rosenkrance.

Merwine has been a key part of the school district’s administration team. Before becoming director of student learning, she had been a longtime elementary school principal.

“We don’t want to lose our momentum,” Myhr said.

Should school leaders work out a way for Merwine to stay on at half time, it would help with what looks to be a tight budget.

Myhr said the school district could see employee cuts at the high school. He didn’t have hard numbers yet on how many cuts may be needed. That information will become more clear in several weeks when the state Legislature finishes its budget, which will determine how much money the school district will receive in state support.

After that, administrators will have several weeks to make any staffing cuts. The school district has a May 15 deadline to notify unions of any possible reductions in force.

School officials hope that any possible cuts would come through retirements and attrition. They will start talking about possible cuts with union representatives after spring break.

Myhr cited several factors for the tight school budget. He said some of the funding sources available have strings attached and the school district has trouble using them.

“There’s money but the money is very tightly framed and focused,” Myhr said.

He had hoped the state would adjust its funding formula, but that won’t happen this year.

Potential cuts could come from the high school where enrollment has been down. The high school has 11 fewer students than budgeted this year.

“As enrollment comes down, funding decreases,” said Janet Fisher, business manager for the Coupeville School District.

One factor contributing to lower high school enrollment is the Running Start program that allows students to take classes at a community college. That allows those students to complete their high school requirements while earning college credits at the same time. But it takes away from high school funding.

The Coupeville School District budgeted 19 students would participate in Running Start, however that number grew to 25. The state money the school district receives for that program simply passes through to the community college.

While the numbers at the high school are down, enrollment in the home-school Cedar Program and the elementary school have been slightly higher.

Overall, Fisher said the school district simply has fewer students than in recent years. The school district used some of its fund balance from its $9.9 million budget to maintain staffing levels.

Because the school district had a healthy 12 percent fund balance, it was able to maintain employee levels in addition to paying for a new portable classroom for the elementary school.

However, Fisher said that was a one-time situation and other solutions have to be found to resolve budget problems.

Preliminary numbers show the school district is planning to have 1,083 full-time equivalent students attending Coupeville schools next year. That number includes an estimated 21 students enrolling in Running Start next year. There are currently 1,113.68 full-time equivalent students enrolled in the Coupeville School District.

The school board will be talking about the budget during its Monday evening workshop. That meeting takes place in the Coupeville Elementary School Library beginning at 6:30 p.m.