WBRZ - Baton Rouge

Rapides Parish School Board officials ended the budget year in the black, but the future may not look as bright.

Rapides Parish Schools Superintendent Gary Jones told board members this week to be prepared for what could be a rougher fiscal year ahead, one that could include layoffs.

Jones, who implemented a staff-reorganization plan this summer that eliminated about 70 job titles but managed to keep employees working by switching them to different sources of funding, said the
district was able to save $2.88 million.

Jones said the district met its goals with the reorganization plan, which was to end the fiscal year without a deficit, but most importantly to circumvent layoffs.