Traverse City Area Public Schools (TCAPS) board members will vote on $1 million in curriculum and budget changes for 2017-18 at their 6pm meeting tonight (Monday) at the TCAPS Administration Building.

The proposed changes include eliminating elementary world language classes, adding new elementary art and physical education classes, and sunsetting the district’s middle-school International Baccalaureate (IB) program. In order to have a structurally balanced budget for the next year, TCAPS has to "to have a plan to adjust our offerings by $1 million," according to Superintendent Paul Soma.

The budget recommendation includes increasing revenues by $500,000 - including an estimated $100,000 increase in miscellaneous fees like facility rentals and $400,000 in increased fees for childcare programming, the Northern Michigan Partnership homeschool program, and the international exchange program - and cutting $500,000 from the budget. The half-million in budget cuts will come from restructuring TCAPS' central office and cutting world language classes at the elementary level.