As families and businesses search for ways to tighten their belts in a down economy, the Wright City R-II School District is exploring its own path to cutting expenses with a new comprehensive process to identify, analyze and recommend areas where spending can be reduced or eliminated without compromising key education standards. The district's new budget reduction process will bring a high level of objectivity to cost reduction as ideas and opportunities for spending reduction are individually screened and measured against a set of criteria developed by school administrators. The baseline criteria for the multistep process protects education quality and health and safety standards while making sure any cuts are not in violation of state regulations and federal and state law, officials said. Ideas that successfully filter through the initial vetting stage will be given a numerical score from 1 to 10 as a means of prioritizing each according to its potential savings impact. The higher the score, the better the opportunity for making a difference in savings without compromising education standards. A thorough problem analysis stage will probe pros, cons and implications of each potential reduction, officials said. The Wright City R-II School Board must approve all proposed spending reductions. The process was introduced at the Nov. 19 school board meeting by Superintendent Chris Gaines who told members and others in attendance that now is the time to thoroughly explore ways in which the district can cut nonessential costs. Citing the slow recovery of the economy and anticipated losses in school funding as the state seeks to balance its budget, Gaines said the stage is set for a comprehensive look at how Wright City schools can operate more leanly in today's "new normal" environment. "We need to be ready to operate with tighter controls over spending," he said, noting the deeply challenging circumstances the district faces in today's economy. He said the process is designed to remove subjectivity as much as possible so that the school can be neutral and evaluate each idea based on its own tangible cost/value considerations. Gaines offered examples of ideas that have been submitted to date, including lowering thermostats by one degree in the winter and raising them in warmer temperatures to save on energy-related expenses. The district also is looking at areas where duplicated services may be reduced and greater efficiencies realized. Ideas for savings already are coming in from faculty, staff and the community, but Gaines wants to cast the broadest possible net for fresh ideas and feedback from every corner of the community. Town Hall meetings are one way that citizens can chime in with their ideas, he said, and the district is actively working to promote participation in these meetings. Approval of the budget reduction process will be voted on at next month's board meeting, Dec. 17.