The Hartselle Board of Education declared a state of financial exigency due to proration, losing stimulus funding and skyrocketing transportation costs.

The emergency declaration also means the school system will have a reduction in force. Superintendent Dr. Mike Reed said he anticipates that the school system will lose about five teaching positions at this time.

“I think we can achieve the reduction in force through attrition,” Reed said. “However, this is based on what we’re expecting the state education budget to be. It still has not been passed. Until then, we won’t know for sure how many positions will be lost, but we do know that we will have a reduction in force.”

Reed said the school board has to approve the exigency declaration before any reductions can be made. He added that he must alert teachers that reductions in positions will be made at the end of the school year.