The cuts will have to keep on coming for the Anacortes School District, which now needs to whack another $600,000 from its 2008-2009 budget.

The number grew by $150,000 from projections earlier this fall due to a decrease in special education enrollment and the funding that follows it.

“We’re obviously tightening our belts. Everyone is scaling back where they need to,” said Superintendent Chris Borgen.

The new cuts come on top of $500,000 in reductions made earlier this year driven by the expected decline in enrollment, cost of living raises, increases in fuel and food costs and more unfunded state mandates.

While 18 more students have come in since school started, the district still had 49 fewer full-time equivalent students than it budgeted for on the state’s official count day Oct. 1.

Thursday night, the Anacortes School Board will review ways to make up the $600,000.

Borgen will recommend freezing hiring unless a position is deemed essential, freezing building and program budgets, scaling back maintenance work and finding more energy savings.

His recommendations include freezing all field trips unless paid for out of grants, donations or by students and freezing nonessential operating costs.

Substitutes will not be hired for classified positions (including custodial, maintenance, secretarial and para educators) unless deemed essential.

All activities and athletic programs will be reviewed and stipends will not be issued unless there is sufficient student participation.

Summer maintenance programs will be cut back for 2009. Energy saving measures will be implemented to reduce costs. Computers will hibernate after 30 minutes. Temperatures in each room will be monitored more closely and lights will be shut off earlier in buildings. Athletic team travel will be combined whenever possible.

“Some of the stuff we’re doing is indirect. We can’t put a dollar amount on it,” said Lisa Matthews, district business and finance director. She cited energy saving measures and gas prices, which are currently below what the district budgeted for.

PTAs will also continue to help the district in areas like field trips, which they have supported in the past. They aren’t being asked to buy essentials like textbooks, Borgen said.

“PTAs have always been a tremendous help to our schools,” he said.

If the district needs further cost savings, Borgen is asking the board to OK using .5 percent (about $140,000) from the district’s 5 percent cash reserve and delay the bus purchase cycle for one school year.

“Obviously there’s a reason you have a reserve and we’re seeing it right now,” Borgen said.

The board approved a $28.5 million 2008-2009 budget in August after district officials made an initial $500,000 in cuts. The district dipped into its cash reserve and increased food prices, facility use fees, athletic fees and education enrichment fees that include areas like the After School Arts Program. The district also reduced staffing through attrition and retirement and reduced co-curricular activities based on student participation.

With a plan to ride out the school year, the district is taking time to look at its funding future.

The most recent list of cuts was compiled with help from the district’s finance committee, which will continue to meet to focus on what the next three to five years will look like budget-wise.

The district has to wait to see what the Legislature does in January before having a good handle on its future funding.

One challenge will be to build back the district’s 5 percent cash reserve in the 2009-2010 school year after dipping into it this year.

That means trying to get closer with FTE projections, which help determine the budget.

“We need to get a really good handle on projecting the future FTE,” Borgen said. “Next year we’re going to show fewer students when we build the budget.”