MARIETTA - Marietta City Schools Superintendent Dr. Emily Lembeck is proposing the elimination of more than 42 jobs, increased class sizes, three furlough days and dipping into the rainy day fund as a way to balance the system's fiscal year 2011 budget.

The school board is scheduled to adopt the proposed budget for the district, which has 7,800 students and 600 teachers, on June 15.

Based on anticipated reductions from the state and in local property taxes, Lembeck said she is estimating a $7 million revenue reduction, or 8.9 percent, of the current FY10 $78.9 million budget.

Of the 42.5 positions recommended for the chopping block, five are central office positions, 30.5 are teaching positions and seven are non teaching staff, she told the board during a budget meeting on Tuesday. By comparison, the board cut 75 positions in the current budget year.

Lembeck is recommending three furlough days for teachers for the coming budget year to be taken during planning days when students aren't present. By comparison, teachers took two furlough days in the current year. She and her three assistant superintendents will take 10 furlough days.

Lembeck is also advising an on average classroom increase of one additional student. And she is recommending a cut in employee benefits by reducing the system's contribution to a teacher's tax sheltered annuity.

Other savings to reach the $7 million shortfall number are found by postponing the adoption of textbooks and dipping into the district's $14 million reserve fund by $1.7 million.

"We want to do all that we can with the least amount of impact to classrooms and to staff," Lembeck said.

"As we go through this process, we need to be trying to anticipate that the following year FY12 will also bring us great challenges after the stimulus money is no longer available," she said.

Board member Stuart Fleming asked if staff had considered consolidating any of the system's schools, to which Lembeck said everything had been considered.

In other business, the board unanimously hired the first two new members of new Marietta High School head football coach Scott Burton's staff.

One new hire is Jason Meade, 33, the current head football coach at Lee-Davis High School near Richmond, Va., a position Meade took two years ago. Meade brought his team from a 2-8 record in 2007 to 4-6 his first year in 2008 and 6-4 last season, which was the school's first winning season in seven years.

Meade and his wife, Jessica, have a daughter and another one on the way. He is the recent recipient of the National High School Spirit of Sports Award presented by the National Federation of State High School Associations, a distinction he won for his character education and academic success program instituted at the school. Meade was also defensive coordinator for Burton at Highland Springs High School when Burton was head coach there.

The board also hired Charles "Charlie" Crittenden, 32, the associate head coach and offensive coordinator at Virginia's Lee-Davis High, whose offense averaged 31 points a game this year. Crittenden was named Assistant Coach of the Year for the district in which he competes, Virginia's Capital District.

Meade will teach science at Marietta High, filling a science vacancy, while Crittenden will teach English, filling an English vacancy, principal Leigh Colburn said.

Burton said both men are featured speakers at various football clinics across the country and have served under him. As for Burton, although his contract doesn't kick in until April 1, he's been in Marietta for more than a week now familiarizing himself with the school and community. Burton said any remaining staff announcements would be made in the coming weeks including which positions Meade and Crittenden will fill.