Sharon City School directors learned Wednesday they must reopen the 2002-03 budget to account for additional money the district received from the state.

Business Manager James Wolf said the district received a total of $335,000 in unexpected money from the state. Wolf estimated the district would get about $86,575 and that figure was included in the district's budget approved in June.

Now directors have $248,425 more to spend. Every district in the state that received more state money than was expected must reopen their budgets to account for the windfall.

School districts have three ways to spend the money -- paying down debt, rebating taxes or reinstating programs and staff cut to balance a budget, Wolf said. Districts cannot add the cash to their reserve funds, he said.

Wolf said the district received $135,337 for basic education, $114,675 for charter school reimbursement from last year and $100 for transportation of a private school student. That money -- minus $1,687 the district anticipated but didn't get for special education reimbursement -- equals $248,425.

Teachers and programs were cut to balance the budget, Wolf said. Two and a half positions were cuts through attrition, and several elementary school alternative education and special programs were cut, he said. Spending the money to restore those jobs and programs will have to be discussed in a closed-door meeting because it involves personnel and teacher negotiations, Wolf said.

Wolf said using the extra cash for debt "won't make much of a dent" in the district's $40 million construction debt from renovations to Case Avenue, West Hill and C.M. Musser elementary schools and the high school.

Directors are expected to reopen the budget, make the changes and vote on those changes at 7 p.m. Monday at the Donald A. Bennett Educational Service Center, 215 Forker Blvd., Sharon.