Every day, hundreds of students from across the district attend Oak Harbor Elementary School, which is the district’s “school of choice.”

However, if the current list of budget cuts is approved, school officials would cut busing for students who live outside the school’s normal attendance boundaries.

That potential cut would help balance an estimated $3.5 million budget shortfall.

Oak Harbor School District Superintendent Rick Schulte said staff is busy contacting affected parents to get their thoughts on the proposal.

He said many of those parents are tentatively leaning toward keeping their children at Oak Harbor Elementary and would make other arrangements to get them to school. Another option would be to eliminate the school of choice and draw a normal attendance boundary for the school.

Approximately 200 students attend Oak Harbor Elementary that would normally attend other elementary schools. Those students can be bused to the school from wherever their homes are in the district. Schulte said this service is being considered for elimination because it isn’t efficient.

The school of choice designation came about when the classic old high school building was renovated after being closed for years and turned into an elementary school.

With the extra classroom space, Schulte said it was decided to allow students from around the district to attend the school. After getting parent input, it was decided the school would emphasize arts and technology and students would be required to wear uniforms.

More than a budget issue, it is also an attendance boundary issue. Schulte said he hopes to have a decision about the school of choice ready by mid-April, when the boundary adjustment committee work is complete.

The transportation for students participating in the school of choice is one of the potential cuts that came out of a budget reconciliation committee that met recently.

That committee came up with a prioritized list that identifies potential cuts throughout the school district. The list includes reducing teachers, support positions, maintenance staff and administrators.

One member of the budget committee said the process could have been better.

“I found the process not to be particularly inspiring,” said Peter Szalai, president of the Oak Harbor Education Association.

He described the budget committee atmosphere as random and chaotic, and the committee didn’t have updated information.

Szalai said Schulte and the school board should have shown more leadership in making decisions to solve the current budget problem.

“Someone needs to step forward and say ‘I accept responsibility,’” Szalai said.

Schulte was surprised to hear of Szalai’s comments. He said Szalai has always been complimentary in their conversations to identify potential budget cuts.

He said staff started early when they realized significant budget cuts were coming and the budget process encouraged participation.

There are still many unknowns concerning the budget. Schulte said he doesn’t know yet how much money the school district will get from the state and federal government.

Enrollment projections, which help determine state funding, have changed. Early projections placed enrollment at 5,265 students. Now that number is down to 5,200 students.

Schulte said the school board should discuss the budget during one of their upcoming meetings — either March 12 or March 26.

The teachers’ union is concerned that some teachers could lose their jobs as a result of the shortfall. School officials hope cuts to teaching positions could take place through attrition. However, that could change depending on what positions open up.

Shulte said that is more of an issue at the high school which has positions which require a specific teaching endorsement.

Middle school and high school staff are working on their master schedules. Union officials are working on seniority lists that would be used to help determine possible layoffs.

Schulte hopes to have this process done as soon as possible to tell employees of possible layoffs. The school district has to make those decisions by mid May.

As for the 2007-2008 school year budget, the Oak Harbor School Board is required to approve a balanced budget by the end of August.