Shadyside school administrators hope the temperatures are as mild as they were last winter. Because if they aren't an already strapped budget will get even worse. Superintendent Jerry Narcisi says, "we're kind of bracing for that financially it's going to be tough because of our financial situation there's not much money to grab from elsewhere to pay higher utility bills."

Early predictions indicate it will cost fifteen percent more this winter to pump heat through these vents. The school's October utility bill comes to more than nine thousand dollars for one building. By January and February, district leaders say that total will go a lot higher. Making matters worse, Shadyside is in a state of fiscal caution, set to end the year with no extra money in the coffers.

So when the utility bills go up, their only option is to pay up is to make more cuts. Some teaching positions will be cut in the coming months as part of an earlier reduction plan, but if utilities skyrocket, there could be more casualties. Shadyside is doing what it can to prevent that. "Over the last 5 or 6 years we've been in energy saving state of mind, we're asking teachers to make sure windows are closed, get rid of coffee pots." And it doesn't stop with the utilities, as diesel fuel prices skyrocket, it means even more financial strife. "We have to run our busses, so if that goes up we'll have to look at another area to cut." As long as there are students in the building, the district must keep the heat on, and the busses running. When they come up short, Narcisi says it all goes back to one thing. "The root problem is the state isn't doing it's constitutional duty in funding schools so we're facing all of these problem." The Supreme court has ordered the state four times to fix the funding system, but school officials say nothing has changed. That's one reason local districts rallied in Columbus this summer, to fight for immediate change. Will it ever change? Narcisi hopes so, for the sake of every Ohio student.

Danielle Frizzi, News9.