From hiring freezes to layoffs, Southern Colorado schools say they're doing what they can so they're ready to meet expected state budget cuts, without sacrificing our children's education. But not everyone agrees.

Community members within District 38 met at Lewis-Palmer Middle School Thursday night to tell board members how they feel about dozens of teachers who will lose their jobs in the next school year. Many people within the Lewis-Palmer school district don't agree with the school board's approach.

Some say they're concerned not only about the cuts to teacher positions, but also about the board's plan to move both D-38 middle schools into one building. And they also feel the board rushed to a decision when it voted for the plan in December.

"Nobody is in this situation because we want to be," says Robin Adair, Community Relations Manager for D-38. "We're not making these changes to improve education, we're doing it to make the least possible impact on students and to preserve the quality of education as much as possible."

The Lewis-Palmer district says they're looking at a potential loss of $3.5 million, or nearly 10 percent of their annual budget. In December, the school board approved a plan to cut about 50 teaching jobs, along with other support staff positions, and consolidate both of their middle schools into one building. It also calls for closing down one of the elementary school buildings, and moving that elementary school into the vacated middle school building. They also plan to out-source their food services.

Many community members and staff members of D-38 showed up at Thursday's town hall meeting to express their concern about the plan the board has put in place. Some of the roughly 100 people at the meeting asked the board to hold off making those changes for one more year.

Also on Thursday night, farther out east in Falcon, the D-49 school board discussed a potential staffing plan of their own. Their plan could change the jobs of some 90 teachers. "Those positions would be eliminated," said D-49 superintendent Brad Schoeppey. "It doesn't mean the people would be eliminated." He added that his district is looking at a potential cut of $7.5 million, which is nearly 8 percent of their annual budget.

Schoeppey says the district has already made cuts at the administrative level, has instituted a hiring freeze, and is watching every cent of their bottom line. He also said that not all of the budget cuts are a bad thing because it does force the district to be more efficient with the resources it does have.

After a meeting on Thursday night, where several staff members expressed concern about D-49's direction, the school board voted against the staffing plan, 2-2, opting to wait two more weeks before deciding officially on the fate of those teacher positions.

Both of these districts are basing their plans on budgets that haven't been finalized yet. The official budget will not be set by the state for another three weeks.