The Boone County school board has voted to reject orders from state Schools Superintendent Michael Martirano to make severe cuts to employee pay and benefits and lay off workers.
The state rejected the budget that the school board submitted for the 2016-2017 school year. The state then offered a plan that would have funded the district without a budget in place through July, but proposed dozens of layoffs and pay cuts.
Thursday, the board voted 5-0 to reject the plan.
School board president Mark Sumpter says the cuts were too sweeping at a time when the district has already closed four schools, laid off more than 70 employees and is facing financial issues because of the decline of the coal economy.
The new fiscal year started Friday. It’s unclear if the district will be funded.