OTTAWA — A group of parents has called for a meeting tonight to discuss a list of proposed cuts in Ottawa schools. The group of concerned parents has scheduled the meeting at 6:30 tonight in the commission room at city hall to go over a list of proposed cuts for next year. School superintendent Dean Katt said he’s talked to school site councils about cuts but the list that parents are looking at, which includes athletics and extracurricular activities, are merely a list of costs rather than serious candidates for cuts. The criminal justice and health careers programs will be handed to the Neosho County Community College – students would have to pay college tuition for the classes – and the school district expects savings from taking over the school bus service, he said. Other cuts haven’t been prioritized, he said. Because of the state’s budget crisis, public schools have had to make sharp cuts and are preparing for more next year. Katt said parents should take their concerns to legislators.
