TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Tucson Unified School District administrators have been weighing alternatives to dealing with a staggering budget crisis.

They include holding back raises for teachers and other employees and even asking them to take a day or two off without pay.

TUSD has about six weeks to slice away $5.2 million from a budget that was anticipated to be $20 million in the red three months ago, said Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer.

The furlough suggestion was one of several Pfeuffer will bring to the governing board at its regular meeting Tuesday evening.

Steve Courter, president of the Tucson Education Association, the teachers union, has reservations about the furlough suggestion.

"Employees are not only concerned about whether or not they will have a pay raise, but whether there will be a take-back of money (because of nonpaid days off). I don't think we're there yet," he said.

Courter added that he thought that option was morally unconscionable.

Bruce Slabaugh, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union spokesman, said the employees he represents, including custodians and bus monitors, are among the lowest paid in the district.

"They are more worried about the district staying solvent so they keep their jobs than they are worried about getting a pay raise," he said. "They also are concerned about the possibility of furlough days, in which the entire district would shut down."

The school board has other cost cutting measures before it including cutting 18 bus monitors in addition to 22 already set to be cut. Savings: $270,000.

Having employees pay $10 in each of 20 pay periods to share the cost of health benefits. Savings: $1.25 million.

Creating a 37.5-hour week for all hourly employees instead of 40 hours. Savings: nearly $3.6 million.

And reducing the supply budget by $5 a student. Savings: about $284,000.

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Information from: Tucson Citizen, http://www.tucsoncitizen.com

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