The GFW School Board is in a tough place — with a statutory operating debt, the district is looking at cutting $290,000 from its budget next year. And unfortunately for school districts that have been dealing with budget shortfalls year after year, there’s little waste or fat to cut from the budget.

In a meeting Tuesday, the GFW board faced a proposal to cut 6.75 positions from the school’s staff, including three elementary teachers, a social studies teacher, a choir director, a counselor, and a .75 time technology instructor.

So, how does a school district deal with this kind of situation? They should start by listening to the people. And that is what the board did at the meeting. The motion to make the cuts died for lack of a second after impassioned pleas from audience members to save programs, especially CTE programs

The board is holding a special meeting on Monday to consider the resolutions, and hopefully to hear more from the public.

It may be that the district will have to take the action. School boards have had to make hard and unpopular decisions in the past. But knowing they listened to the people they serve makes it easier.