DANVILLE – This week, about 100 certified and noncertified employees in the Danville school district will receive notices that their positions will be eliminated next school year.

The cuts are budget driven.

School officials project a $4 million deficit on June 30.

Superintendent Nanette Mellen said the personnel cuts will help the district "come closer" to a balanced budget next year but another deficit budget is likely.

At Wednesday's regular meeting, the school board will conduct a hearing on the cuts, also called a reduction in force, allowing the public the opportunity to comment.

The meeting is Wednesday – at least 60 days prior to the last day of school as required by state law. All personnel whose positions will be, or could be, eliminated next school year will receive hand-delivered RIF notices before Wednesday's board meeting.

About 35 of the positions to be cut are paid for through grant funds, and those positions may be reinstated later. The district won't know until later in the year if those state and federal grants will be received for next school year, so the employees must be notified that the positions will be cut until funding levels are known.

But more than 60 positions are district-paid and will be eliminated. They include teachers, an administrator, social workers, secretaries and others.

"There's everything," Mellen said.

The district and the Danville Education Association are just beginning negotiations for a new contract for certified staff, which is mostly teachers but also includes other staff such as psychologists and social workers.

Also at Wednesday's meeting, the school board will consider accepting construction bids for the outdoor track.

Mellen said the plan is to accept the lowest of six contractor bids.

Last month, the district opened bids from six contractors for the construction of an outdoor, all-weather track, but the bids were higher than the district's $1.3 million budget. So, district officials and project engineers have reworked the track design, eliminating some enhancements, to bring the project within budget.

"We've got it under the $1.3 million and still have some contingency money," Mellen said.

The district has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony at 1:45 p.m. March 23 at the track site, the high school's current practice field.

A ceremony has been planned with students, district officials and community members.