The Newberry School District is still standing after Round 1 in the budget cut ring where it took its first blow for the 2009-2010 year at around $600,000.

Although there was not an official number at Monday’s board meeting, the district’s Chief Financial Officer Susan Dowd reported that the 4.04 percent across-the-board cut from the state Budget and Control Board means an “approximately $600,000” cut for the district.

The reduction also shaved off some per-student spending.

“It actually reduced the base student cost from $2,034 to $1,910,” said Dowd.

But a $300 portion of that base student cost total is untouchable federal stimulus funds, said Dowd.

The good news, however, is that the board planned and set aside money for such cuts in its “contingency fund,” said District Superintendent Bennie Bennett.

This year’s budget had $950,000 in contingency money, compared to last year’s bank of $300,000.

“So, if that number holds true, we’ll be able to handle that first round of cuts without significant impact on operations and what we’re actually doing,” Bennett said.

The contingency money was put away for a rainy day, said Board Chairman Don Saylor.

“And we’ve already had a pretty good thunderstorm,” Saylor said. “It doesn’t leave a lot.”

The challenge ahead is absorbing another cut without having an impact on operations, Bennett said.

Board member Lee Attaway asked the administration to be on the lookout for another cut, so if teachers had to be furloughed, they could space their days off over the whole school year instead of just in the spring.

“I would like to know as soon as possible…even if we have to have a special meeting” to lessen the impact, said Attaway.

Bennett agreed that multiple furloughs spread over one school year and nine paychecks were better than furloughs set all in a few months time.