"I think we have right at five openings as we lead into the school year, so we're in pretty good shape," GCCS Superintendent Mark Laughner said. "Also in transportation, our staffing is in good shape."

Both Greater Clark County Schools and New Albany Floyd County Schools, which each have more than 10,000 students, are offering virtual learning options for students.

The plan, which takes effect July 1 and passed on a 6-1 vote, is expected to save the school district at least $5.5 million and potentially more than $6 million.

If approved by the board Jan. 26, the district expects to save at least $5.5 million and potentially more than $6 million by closing Bridgepoint Elementary, transitioning Corden Porter programming to other schools, removing certification requirements for teaching related arts classes, outsourcing janitorial and maintenance work, and more cost-saving measures starting July 1.

Internal meetings with staff affected by the proposed cuts are underway, Laughner said in the letter obtained by WDRB News.

Several school employees, most of them teachers, had been quarantined after exposure to COVID-19, prompting Greater Clark County Schools to initially suspend in-person instruction at Jeffersonville High for a week starting Tuesday.

“Everybody’s anxious to start school, but this is a little extra this year,” Superintendent Mark Laughner said outside the newly opened Franklin Square Elementary School on Wednesday. “We do feel like we have a safe plan in place for our students and staff, and we’re ready to get started.”