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ALBIA, IOWA -- On Monday, KTVO visited the Albia School District in Monroe County and spoke with Superintendent Kevin Crall. 

He said that the district had good planning in previous years to make it financially solvent, but still adjustments had to be made due to the state cuts across-the-board.

"We offered an early retirement package knowing that it is not free, but nonetheless we had six folks take us up on that, determined that was a win for them. We kind of like win-win [situations]. It provided flexibility of not maybe replacing some of those positions. So this year the board just voted to make approximately $530,000 worth of cuts for next year and not replacing some positions," Superintendent Crall said.

Crall said that he is uncertain whether or not allowable growth, the state funds which help districts meet the increasing cost of education, will even be funded next year.

"That becomes kind of a cloudy picture if that is actually going to be funded for next year. What we don't want to do is assume that the two percent allowable growth is going to get funded. Everybody goes through that, they negotiate. We have negotiations based on that allowable growth concept. And then, turn around the next fall and we have budget cuts because we don't have the money to back up the allowable growth," Superintendent Crall said.

There is some positive news in the district. He added that the benefits of the Harkin Grant will assist with the renovation of Grant Elementary in late spring.

"In all this bad news of budgets, the Harkin Grant has been a good thing for us. We are only one out of eleven schools in the state that got the grant," Superintendent Crall said. "And I think one of four or five that got the full amount, $500,000. So we're very grateful for that money that we got."

Throughout March, KTVO is speaking with school district officials throughout Southeast Iowa regarding their Fiscal Year Budget.