Scotland County School Superintendent Rick Stout told an audience Tuesday that state budget cuts will impact everything from hiring personnel to the ability to buy textbooks.

Stout said the total budget cuts for the school system totaled $2.4 million. He explained the revenue cuts during a presentation to the Laurinburg Rotary Club during the group's regular Tuesday luncheon. Stout was accompanied by Andy Cagle, spokesperson for the school system.

"These cuts have a tremendous impact on what we are trying to do," Stout said. "I told our local legislators that a half a million dollar budget cut impacts Scotland County schools much differently than it does a larger system, such as Wake or Charlotte-Mecklenburg, which can absorb that amount of loss much better than we can."

While many of the cuts were expected, the school system was not prepared for an additional $500,000 in small schools funding taken by the state, he said.

A breakdown of budget cuts for Scotland County schools included the following: discretionary funds, used in a wide variety of ways including hiring new positions, lost $1,017,452; small schools funding for non-certified high school staff was cut $500,000; student accountability lost $207,000; and the textbook fund was cut back a total of $184,792.

With the addition of cuts in the areas of literacy coaches, technology, transportation and others, total budget cuts for the school system totaled $2.4 million.

Cagle was quick to point out that although the textbook budget was cut, students will not be left without learning materials.

"While there are no funds available to purchase new adaptions of textbooks, the kids will still be using slightly older editions for their studies. It's not like there will be a shortage of books."

Stout said that Scotland County residents "need to have information regarding the kids, and I need feedback from the community."

He extended a welcome to anyone wishing to visit with him to discuss the budget issue, adding that "we need to look at exactly how we will do business."

Stout's appearance before the Rotary Club marked one of the new superintendent's first outings since beginning his duties last month. A New Jersey native, Stout attended Atlantic Christian College in Wilson and has an advanced degree from East Carolina University.

Stout and his wife Alfreda have two children, Ricky and Brandy.