STARTS RIGHT NOW. RIGHT NOW, MORE THAN A DOZEN TEACHING POSITIONS ARE IN JEOPARDY IN THE WEST DES MOINES SCHOOL DISTRICT. KCCI SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL IS LIVE AT A PACKED SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. TODD, THIS IS ABOUT THE BUDGET. BAIRD. THIS IS A BIG BUDGET CUT. IT ADDS UP TO ALMOST $3 MILLION HERE IN WEST DES MOINES. TAKE A LOOK. WE SHOT SOME VIDEO EARLIER TONIGHT. IT WAS A PACKED AUDIENCE AT THE WEST DES MOINES SCHOOL BOARD TONIGHT. PARENTS, STUDENTS, EVEN TEACHERS VERY WORRIED ABOUT THESE CUTS OF THAT 3 MILLION, $2 MILLION WOULD COME FROM CUTTING BACK WHAT THEY CALL OUTSIDE VENDOR USE FOR MANY DISTRICT SERVICES. BUT THE FINAL MILLION DOLLARS WOULD CUT 15 TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF POSITION. AND THAT IS THE ONE THAT REALLY HURTS THE MOST. WEST DES MOINES SAYS THE REASON FOR THESE CUTS IS PRETTY SIMPLE. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN WEST DES MOINES IS NOW DECREASING. 375 FEWER STUDENTS THIS YEAR THAN IN 2019. THE OTHER BIG ISSUE WEST DES MOINES AND MANY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GETTING LESS MONEY FROM THE STATE. THE DISTRICT SAYS IT WILL TRY TO FIND OTHER OPENINGS FOR SOME OF THESE TEACHER POSITIONS. WHO COULD LOSE THEIR JOBS. BUT STUDENTS AT TONIGHT’S MEETING SAY THEY DON’T WANT TO LOSE ANY OF THEIR FAVORITE TEACHERS OR THEIR CLASSES. TO THINK OF THE FACT THAT HE COULD LOSE HIS JOB JUST BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOL NOT WANTING TO, LIKE, PUT ENOUGH MONEY INTO THIS, PUT LIKE PUT ENOUGH MONEY INTO CHILDREN, LIKE LEARNING ABOUT REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS IN THEIR DAY TO DAY LIFE. IT LIKE HONESTLY BROKE MY HEART A LITTLE. ANY TIME WE HAVE TO CONSIDER BUDGET REDUCTIONS, IT’S DIFFICULT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE WANT TO MINIMIZE STUDENT IMPACT. WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE GREAT OFFERINGS THAT WE HAVE FROM PRESCHOOL ALL THE WAY THROUGH 12TH GRADE. AND IF. THERE IS AN IMPACT TO STAFF, THEN WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND OR CONSIDER WHAT WILL THAT ULTIMATE IMPACT BE FOR STUDENTS. SO IT’S VERY HARD. NOW, THE WEST DES MOINES SCHOOL BOARD HAS BEEN DISCUSSING THESE VERY PAINFUL CUTBACKS FOR MONTHS NOW. THEY HAD TO DO A SIMILAR BUDGET CUT BACK IN 2021, AND THEY HOPE TO HAVE A FINAL BUDGET BASED ON SOME OF THESE NEW NUMBERS COMING UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.