The countdown begins.

I have a lot to update on, but i'll do that later today. For now a new article:

Galveston public school district trustees today will consider cutting 175 positions, including 111 teaching jobs, to curb a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.

The layoffs are expected to save the district $7.8 million, Superintendent Lynne Cleveland said. The budget shortfall for 2009-10 has been predicted to be as high as $17 million.

Trustees shaved $2 million from the budget in early February by cutting 55 administrator and support personnel positions, including two of the district’s top-paid employees. Most of those jobs already were vacant, and some of the positions on the chopping block today also are vacant, Cleveland said.

Trustees today will consider cutting teaching jobs from every campus except Austin Middle School, the district’s only magnet middle school. The cuts will include 49 elementary school teachers, 44 middle school teachers and 18 Ball High School teachers.

Trustees are also expected to cut 64 other positions, including groundskeepers, custodians, building engineers, principals, assistant principals, counselors, nurses, librarians, secretaries, office staff and aides.

About one-third of those jobs are vacant, Cleveland said. All the laid-off employees will remain in their jobs until their contracts end in June.

At least 45 district employees already have accepted a buyout that was part of a program trustees rolled out to prevent widespread layoffs. The program, offered to 182 employees, allowed those who resigned early to get a portion of their salaries. Employees with the district for five years or fewer were offered 1 percent of their salaries; employees with the district for 20 years or more were offered 10 percent of their salaries.

The deadline to take the buyout is Friday.

Even after layoffs, the district likely will have to cut administrator salaries, Cleveland has said. The district is not considering a pay cut for teachers, she said.

The district was facing a $6 million budget shortfall before Hurricane Ike.

It’s expecting a shortfall almost three times as much for 2009-10 after the hurricane, which displaced 25 percent of its students to other districts.

The hurricane, which flooded 75 percent of the island, is also expected to put a dent in the district’s tax revenue.

Trustees will discuss the layoffs at 6:30 p.m. in the Lovenberg Administration Building, 3904 Ave. T.

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At A Glance

WHAT: Galveston public school board special meeting

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. today

WHERE: Lovenberg Administration Building, 3904 Ave. T