Get out your calculator.

Durango School District 9-R administrators and board members are calling on community members to give their input at a work session Tuesday night.

“We’re hoping to get thoughts from the community about how we should prioritize spending of (ballot issue) 3A money, especially in light of tight budget circumstances,” said 9-R board member Jeff Schell.

Voters passed ballot issue 3A, a mill-levy increase that raises $3.2 million annually for the district, in November.

The money will go toward new technology, raising teachers’ salaries and maintaining small class sizes.

School board members and district administrators will be on hand to listen to feedback from community members.

“I’m still looking to cut $300,000 out of next year’s budget, and I’m looking for guidance on what people would prioritize and what they would cut if they had to,” said Laine Gibson, the district’s chief financial officer.

Gibson said he will give an update on the district’s current budget situation and review what cuts will be avoided next year because of 3A dollars.

The extra money will help cushion the district against the blow K-12 education received in Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposed budget, he said.

Referring to the necessity of tough cuts, Hickenlooper has been fond of saying that the four-letter word around the Capitol these days is “math.”

Though the mill-levy revenue will protect some areas at 9-R, Gibson said cuts in other places are inevitable.

The district probably will have to dip into its reserves next year, he said.

The district’s tight financial situation is no secret, board member Wendy Rice said at last week’s board’s meeting.

“The community members are hearing the same news we are,” Rice said.

After the work session, the district plans to compile the community’s feedback and post it online, Schell said.

People who can’t attend Tuesday’s meeting will be able to make comments about the budget on the district’s website.

ecowan@durango herald.com