The Litchfield School Board approved another rounds of cuts Monday.

Board members authorized $150,000 in cuts to balance the 2008-09 budget. While the reductions will not affect class sizes or programming, Superintendent Bill Wold suggested the time for cutting teacher positions might not be so far away.

“My speculation is this is the last time I could recommend something like this without increasing class size,” he said. “We’re to the point there we’ve squeezed quite a bit.”

Since the 1998 operating referendum, the district has made more than $1 million in cuts and eliminated 18 full-time teaching positions. The reductions have generally been made through attrition and have had minimal effect on class size due to declining enrollment, Wold said. In his 10 years as superintendent, the district has not had to lay off staff.

Next year’s cuts will also be made through attrition. The board voted to eliminate the high school/middle school media specialist position, which is currently held by Richard Matson who will retire at the end of the school year. Other cuts include hiring only a half-time special education teacher to fill a retirement and eliminating an open paraprofessional position. The district will also restructure its high school-middle school custodial staff.

Read more in the May 1 Independent Review, including talks about a possible operating levy.