It’s been more than a month since Claremont residents learned the school district’s mismanagement was so bad the school year might not be completed. Soon, they will find out just how deep the deficit hole is.

One thing taxpayers do know: It’s so deep the district is shutting down Bluff Elementary School to save money.

The Claremont School District is currently facing a shortfall estimated to be between $1 million and $5 million, a shocking number for a small, academically underperforming school system.

Claremont’s school year wasn’t delayed as many feared. Emergency measures were taken, such as canceling contracts for 19 teachers, laying off 20 nonteaching staffers, and shutting down extracurricular activities like athletics. All that was done without knowing the total dollar amount of

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