Jordan schools might soon face $425,000 in budget cuts this year if voters don’t vote yes on a referendum to pay the same amount through property taxes.

Having already cut much out of the budget, some Board of Education members said the schools can’t cut anything else without compromising quality education.

“We’re running out of popular choices,” Chairperson Dan Buresh said during a special board meeting Monday.

One of those choices is eliminating up to seven teachers, which would result in larger class sizes. Middle School Principal Lance Chambers said class sizes at his school are already nearing 30 students per class.

Some other options included charging for all day kindergarten, dropping all vocational programs, cutting back on the number of buses or bus stops and reducing the number and frequency of elective classes.

Director Joe Benko emphasized that state funding is no longer enough to cover basic operating costs and money has been taken from the reserve funds just to keep the doors open and the lights on.

Should the levy pass, the school board has started discussing how to spend the money most efficiently.

The first priority, Buresh said, would be to end deficit spending. Board members also placed facilities management, maintenance of programs and class size reductions at the top of the list.

With the November elections just over a month away, Benko stressed how quickly the decisions have to be made.

“We don’t have time to be specific,” he said.

The board hopes to send detailed referendum information packets to parents and homeowners before holding a public meeting to discuss the options.