NATCHEZ — State funding cuts total a $1.4 million loss for the Natchez-Adams School District so far this year, and fingers are crossed that the chopping is over.

Superintendent Anthony Morris said the district has lost 8 percent of the funds the district anticipated receiving from the state for the 2009-2010 fiscal year budget.

The district operates on a $40 million annual budget that includes state, local and federal funding.

“(Cuts are) forcing us to do more, with less,” Morris said. “Accountability standards are more rigorous than they were before, which puts a lot of stress on our educators.”

Morris said the school district has tried to spread the cuts across the board evenly so far, but further cuts from the state could mean salary reductions or layoffs.

“We are not to the point of cutting salaries, nor employees,” he said. “If this continues, we are looking at cutting through attrition.”

At that point, positions left open by resignations and retirements wouldn’t be filled, but Morris said the step after that would be layoffs.

If budget cuts to the district continue at the rate they are occurring, Morris said he fears it will force the school district to ask for a local tax increase.

“Even the state legislature is fearful this could happen,” he said. “I know the Adams County Board of Supervisors do not want it to happen, but if the trend continues there will be no other option.”

The state legislature voted to restore $28 million to education, but Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has said he would veto the bill.

While Morris said he understands the governor’s perspective, he said a quality education is directly connected to restoring the economy.

Most of the cuts came out of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, which is used to determine adequate funding levels in every district in the state.

The MAEP provides funding for teacher and other employee salaries, textbooks and supplies, and operational costs. Salaries, retirement and insurance cover 75-80 percent of NASD’s budget.

Additional funding cuts to the tune of approximately 15 percent have also been made to state dollars for special, gifted and vocational education, transportation and alternative schools.

Morris said though the Natchez-Adams District receives funding from the federal government, including funding for after school programs, none of that money can be reallocated to counter state cuts.

Barbour issued recent cuts based on an 8 percent state budget shortfall from July through December 2009 to get the state’s budget back in balance.

Since the 2008-2009 school year, Morris said the Natchez schools have received well over $2 million in budget cuts. The budget for public schools has been cut $206.5 million.