BONAIRE -- The Houston County Board of Education may give their approval Tuesday to hire 26 additional personnel for the upcoming school year, with fewer budget cuts than expected from the state level.

If approved, the positions will cost the school district $1.5 million in the 2012 fiscal year.

The supplemental budget released by Gov. Nathan Deal for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year does not include a 2 to 4 percent funding cut to local school districts previously announced by former Gov. Sonny Perdue, said Stephen Thublin, assistant superintendent for finance and business operations.

Thublin said he had anticipated the possibility of $4.8 million in austerity reductions to Houston County when putting together this year’s budget, based on Perdue’s predictions. So far, they haven’t come to fruition.

Of the 26 positions being considered, 24 are teaching jobs, according to documents presented at a board work session Monday. Half of the 14 core subject high school teachers hired would teach science to help meet new state graduation requirements. Students entering high school in 2008 or later must have four science credits to graduate, compared with the three required of previous classes.

Veterans High School would gain an assistant principal, a clerk and four elective teachers. There would also be three teachers each at the elementary and middle school levels.

Board Vice Chairman Toby Hill expressed concern about approving the hires, only to face budget cuts down the road.

“As accountants we are conservative,” Thublin said. “I would not recommend this unless we have funds (for) this.”