S-G board members eye cuts to school budget By MARY MARTIALAY Gazette Reporter SCOTIA — To hold next year’s school tax increase to 6 percent, the district could cut all after school clubs and programs, drop middle school sports, keep kindergarten students at school all day instead of busing them home mid-day, and cut 6 teaching positions in the district.     The Board of Education asked Superintendent Mike Marcelle to propose $1 million in cuts to the proposed $38 million budget, but board president Kurt Ahnert said many of the options presented at a Monday night meeting were met with immediate resistance by board members.     "The charge I left the board with was ‘you’ve got Mike’s list, now everyone go home and think about it for a week,’ " Ahnert said. "At some point, we’ll find this is the line we draw between what we can bear and where it will hurt too much."     The board will conduct public forums each Monday night at 7 p.m. at the middle school through April 5.     Two weeks ago Marcelle released a preliminary budget that, in the worst case, would raise taxes 12.4 percent and increase spending from $35.4 million to $38 million.     The single largest increase — $1.1 million — came from increases in benefits such as retirement systems, health and dental, Social Security, and worker compensation.     But the district also tried to restore items cut over recent years, including elementary summer school, supplies, equipment, and professional development.     At this point, those restorations appear unlikely.     More problematic, said Ahnert, are reductions in popular programs like after school clubs and sports, and a proposal to cut two elementary librarians and share the remaining two among the district’s four elementary schools.     "Those are areas that people tend to feel emotional about."     The district would save $236,000 by cutting six teachers in the district. Another $138,000 could be saved by cutting elementary library staff from four to two. Cutting after school programs would save $22,500 in busing costs and salaries for club advisors. By eliminating seventh and eighth grade sports, the district could save $72,000. And the district would reduce after-school access to the fitness center for a savings of $16,900.     Ahnert and Marcelle both cautioned that the budget is still very much in a preliminary stage.