VANDALIA — Administrators at Vandalia-Butler City Schools are taking the same two-year pay freeze as staff members in a cost-reduction measure, according to new details acquired by the Dayton Daily News.

The district’s plan to reduce costs by $7 million were announced last week, just a few days after 22 staff members were laid off.

The large-scale cuts and the way the layoffs were conducted caused many community members to question whether administrators’ compensation would be among those taking a financial hit.

Close to 30 residents spoke at last week’s meeting, where officials outlined the reductions, or have since contacted the Dayton Daily News regarding the district’s plan, which will be conducted in two phases.

The first phase, which impacts the 2012-13 school year and will reduce costs by $3.5 million, includes eliminating high school busing, reducing middle school and elementary school busing, cutting gifted and summer school programs, freezing technology spending and implementing pay-to-participate fees for athletics.

This phase also includes the elimination of 32 positions and the reduction in force of 22 staff members.

Multiple residents and staff members expressed concern that those being laid off were told at the beginning of the school day on April 20.

“If I were to lose my job, I certainly would shed tears,” said Anessa Snapp, the mother of a Morton Middle School sixth-grader. “I would expect anyone that I fired to do the same. These teachers then had to stand before 10- and 11-year-olds all day crying and sobbing.”

Vandalia-Butler Superintendent Christy Donnelly said reductions in force are always difficult, but that the district worked with the teachers’ association and had substitute coverage available.

“There is no good way to let an employee know they are losing a job,” she said. “We would handle reductions similarly in the future.”

Other residents began questioning whether the administration would share in the financial cuts.

The school board, per state protocol, did not respond directly to those who spoke at the meeting. However, Donnelly and school board President Bob Cupp have since confirmed that administrators will receive the same two-year pay freeze as the rest of the staff.

They added, in response to additional query, that officials did not receive bonuses.

There also were concerns raised about the 6.99-mill levy the district will have on the ballot in August, and the fact that it has the same millage of the levy that failed in November.

Donnelly said the district plans to run an aggressive levy campaign, “as we do each and every time there is a levy,” and said that the district will be back on the ballot in November if the August issue fails.

Cupp said he agreed with a parent who spoke at the meeting about how school funding is not a local issue, but one with its roots at the state level. He said the district consistently contacts state legislators regarding funding.

In the meantime, he said, districts such as Vandalia-Butler will continue to make reductions.

“When you only have so much money, it’s just a matter of addition,” he said. “We’ve tried to do everything right.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7325 or jikelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.