Clark-Shawnee Local Schools will cut 10.5 positions, institute $200 pay-to-participate fees and raise students fees by 20 percent as part of $700,000 in budget cuts if the district’s May levy fails.

Clark-Shawnee board members approved by a 3 to 0 vote Monday morning the plan to reduce spending by at least $700,000 before the start of the 2013-14 school year if voters do not approve a 7.59-mill levy on the May 7 ballot. Board members Neal Weber and Judith Pierce were not at the meeting.

“I think this is my eighth year on the board, and we’ve cut every year,” said board President David DeHart. “We’re down to the nitty gritty in terms of what we can cut.”

If approved, the 10-year levy would raise $2.5 million a year for the district and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $232.44 a year. The district would not have to make the planned cuts in that case, said Superintendent Gregg Morris.

The district has not determined the specific positions that would be impacted by the cuts.

Over the last two years, Clark-Shawnee has cut nine teaching positions and a total of $3.2 million from its budget, said Treasurer Tom Faulkner. The plan approved by the board Monday calls for six more teaching positions to be eliminated.

“Likely, it would involve at least one teacher in each building and three at the high school,” said Morris. “All possibilities are on the table. It’s going to impact class sizes and course offerings.”

To cover a projected $700,000 deficit in December if the levy fails, the district will:

• eliminate half of an administrative position, likely at Shawnee High School

• cut six teaching positions

• reduce hours for multiple nurses, library aides, custodians and bus drivers to cut four classified positions

• reduce building budgets for supplies and tutoring by 10 percent

• reduce one of 18 bus routes

• implement pay-to-participate fees of $200 per sport/$400 maximum per athlete at the high school and $100 per sport/$200 per athlete at the middle school

• institute a $50 flat fee for high school students who participate in one or more clubs

• increase student fees by 20 percent

The district is hosting meetings with community members this week to talk about the levy and the cost reduction plans.

“In my view, we’ve done this right,” said Morris. “We started two years ago, and we had community meetings and we cut. And we cut. And we still have a credible operation. Now our backs are against the wall. We can’t cut our way out of this.”