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PERRYSBURG, OHIO -- The Perrysburg School District has announced it will move to close a $3.1 million budget gap by laying off staff and altering schedules at schools across the district.

At a Board of Education meeting Monday night, the district announced they will lay off 20 teaching positions and another 32 non-teaching employees in an attempt to close the budget deficit for the 2010-2011 school year.  The teaching cuts include at least ten certificated positions at Perrysburg High School, five teachers at Perrysburg Junior High and another four teaching positions at the district's elementary schools.

The district will also eliminate Safety Town, 6th grade camp, and limit substitute teaching positions and pay.

Start times at Frank and Toth elementary schools will be pushed up by 15 minutes.  By beginning school at 8:45 a.m., the district hopes to save $60,000 in transportation costs.

In addition to all-day Kindergarten, which will still be offered, parents will also be able to enroll their children in a half-time kindergarten program. The program will replace the current half-day kindergarten and would mean kindergarteners would attend school all-day every other day. The district plans to save $98,000 with the new schedule.