The Cherokee County School Board will carve $800,000 out of the school budget Monday and make a decision on the Gaffney High athletic trainer position.

The state Budget and Control Board ordered a 4 percent across the board funding cut for education and all state agencies to cover a $200 million shortfall in tax revenues. The budget cut means Cherokee County will lose about $800,000 from the $61.7 million spending plan, which took effect July 1.

The school board will meet this Monday at 7 p.m. at the school district office on Twin Lakes Road.

School board chairman Billy Blackwell confirmed school trustees will make a decision on how to deal with the recent budget cuts at Monday's meeting. Recommendations being considered by the school board include not filling five contingency teacher positions and using a new school funding flexibility law signed by Gov. Mark Sanford in June, Blackwell said. The flexibility law gives school districts the ability to move funds, use state lottery funds and furlough school employees to deal with the budget cuts.

The school district is running out of options for cutting money from its budget without impacting teachers and district staff, Blackwell said.

"We will continue to provide the best education possible," Blackwell said. "We are going to discuss a plan from the district administration at the board meeting on how to deal with these budget cuts."

It's less certain how the school district will handle a personnel matter involving the Gaffney High athletic trainer position.

The school board will meet in closed session Monday evening to receive legal advice from its attorneys on whether the Gaffney High athletic trainer position should be changed because of liability concerns.

The state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has informed the district any school athletic trainers working athletic contests must be certified. The state Athletic Trainers Act requires all trainers pass an exam and have met the athletic training curriculum requirements of a college.

A rival school's trainer raised questions several months ago over whether present Gaffney High athletic trainer Mary McDaniel is properly certified.

The school board's personnel committee met in closed session on Aug. 25 to discuss the GHS trainer position.

After committee members initially agreed to let McDaniel work on a voluntary basis, the Cherokee County School District administration decided not to keep the athletic trainer on the sidelines until the certification issue is resolved.