VOLUSIA COUNTY -- The Volusia County School District has announced it is now taking away all junior varsity sports and cheerleading.
On Wednesday night, officials held a community meeting at Deltona High School to discuss this latest measure and what else could come next.
Hundreds of concerned parents and citizens showed up for the meeting. While they told News 13 they understand the need to trim the budget, they feel that eliminating JV sports will only hurt, not help, the district.
"They complain about the kids on the streets. They've already set curfews here. This keeps them off the streets, whether it's JV or varsity sports," said Crystal Kern, a concerned parent.
"And that's what we're looking at with our girls. At least for some help. If they take that away, we may not be able to send them to college," said Lisa Trujillo, another concerned parent.
Other items discussed at the meeting were the possibility of cutting out sports entirely, which is something a lot of coaches are bracing for, and changing the school week from five days to four to help cut costs.
Right now, the school district faces $18 million in cuts, with another $18 million on the way.
How Are Other Counties Handling The Budget Problem?
Here's a county-by-county wrap up of how other Central Florida districts are handling the budget problem.
Seminole County administrators are meeting with various groups, such as principals, union reps, business advisory boards and PTA's, to talk about budget options. Any budget decisions they make will be announced in March at their first public budget meeting.
In Brevard County, proposed budget cuts will go before the board on Jan. 20. They anticipate $10 million more in cuts.
In Osceola County, a spokesperson told News 13 nothing has been decided so far. The superintendent has talked to the board regularly to keep them updated about the situation.
In Lake and Polk counties, officials were in meetings all day about the budget situation, but did not say what they were doing.
Officials in Flagler, Marion and Sumter counties did not get back to us.
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