JACKSON – A $29.4 million shortfall in the current budget for Mississippi public schools has educators pondering the possibility of midyear cuts.

State leaders are cautioning local school administrators to spend conservatively, just in case. The budget year runs from July 1 to June 30.

Mike Kent, superintendent of Madison County schools, is among those who have gotten the message.

A possible midyear cut ”causes you to take some deep breaths,” he said.

If legislators are unable to come through with what’s called a ”deficit appropriation” and make up the money early in the spring, school districts will be faced with cutting their budgets midyear.

”I’m concerned about it,” said Judy Rhodes, state Department of Education director of accountability. ”We’re asking superintendents to be frugal in their expenditures. If at all possible, set aside any funds they can in the event the full appropriation is not available.”

Natchez-Adams Schools Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis said the district could lose $298,000 already budgeted this year if the state Legislature does not fund the deficit this year.

The last time the state’s public schools had to cut their budgets midyear was in 1991 during the Ray Mabus administration. Mabus slashed the public school budget by $30 million because of weak state tax collections. Legislators last spring underfunded the state’s Minimum Foundation Program that pays for teachers, transportation costs, health insurance and other school needs.

That’s not unusual because they’re parceling out dollars based on rough estimates of numbers of students and teachers, Rhodes said.

This year, however, there is no money available to make up the difference because of tight state finances.

Rowan Taylor of Jackson, chairman of the state Board of Education, said it’s difficult to plan for the next budget year when there’s ”a shortage in a budget that already exists. We’ve got to get that made up before we can think about anything new.”

While Department of Education officials are worried, they’re not saying the sky is falling, either.

”I think the Legislature is going to do everything it can to make sure (budget cuts) don’t occur,” Rhodes said. ”This is a serious matter. It’s one we’re hopeful will be taken care of, but we’re asking them not to take it for granted.”

The chairmen of the Senate and the House appropriations committees say legislators will come up with solutions. But the two differ on what that’ll be.

Rep. Charlie Capps, D-Cleveland, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, doesn’t see the usual deficit appropriation this time. ”I really don’t think we’re going to be doing any deficits,” he said.

The solution might be tapping into the state’s $260 million rainy day fund. ”I don’t think minimum programs will be cut. I hope not,” Capps said.

Sen. Jack Gordon, D-Okolona, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said all budgets might take a small cut.

”We’re going to try to give them a deficit appropriation,” he said.