Following a failed tax ratification election in November, Hutto ISD officials must cut the budget to address a $1.2 million shortfall going into the 2012–13 school year.

About 57 percent of voters rejected a 6 cent increase of the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate, which would have provided about $1.2 million in revenue to the district and offset a reduction in state funding of the same amount.

Superintendent Doug Killian said meetings will probably be held in February and March to get public input.

The district had already cut $4.5 million from its 2011–12 budget after state funding cuts were approved by the Texas Legislature.

"When you cut $4.5 million out of a budget, cutting another $1 million is a lot harder, because there's nowhere else to cut," Public Information Officer Emily Boswell said.

School staff met in November to develop a list of possible cuts and additional revenue sources. Although no decisions have been made yet, Killian said possibilities include cutting out some electives at the middle school level, reducing the supply budgets at elementary campuses, charging for transportation and holding another tax ratification election.

Veterans' Hill Elementary School, which the district had originally planned to reopen in 2013, might stay closed longer because Killian said the district does not have enough money to hire the support staff needed to operate the campus.

"In terms of the cuts that are going to be coming, I don't see how it will be possible to not impact students and student performance," Killian said.