Selma city schools face an 8 percent budget cut in fiscal year 2004. It’s just not certain where the ax will fall.

Thursday, the Selma City School Board approved Dr. James Carter’s tentative plan for budget cuts within the school system.

Carter said the entire state is in a financial crisis and the cuts come at time when State Superintendent of Education Ed Richardson advised all local boards to prepare for a financial shortfall.

Carter said the board is making preparations and working to ensure all city school will have adequate staffing and supplies by the time students return from summer vacation.

The cuts are scheduled to take place during early May, but so far the board has made no official decision on how many teaching positions or programs could be eliminated.

Carter said the board is still studying the package he presented to them and definite decisions should be known by the end of the month.

The financial belt tightening comes at a time when the board also approved bids for school repairs and the extension of a technology program.

In other business the board:

The program, which already exists at Selma Middle C.H.A.T. Academy, will train students as proficient technology users and technicians. Additional classes will be

established by the fall of 2004 to teach the T4 program at the schools.