Increased enrollment in the Thatcher schools has qualified the school district for additional elementary classroom space that will be paid for with state money, the Thatcher School Board learned.

The school district applied to the state’s School Facilities Board for four additional classrooms, but the state agency approved eight classrooms, Gary Mangum, school district facilities manager, told the School Board during a meeting Tuesday.

The School Facilities Board administers Arizona’s Students First program, which pays for additional classrooms at the state’s public schools. Schools must demonstrate significant enrollment increases to qualify for more classrooms. Current enrollment in Thatcher’s four schools is 1,306 in kindergarten through 12th grade. A year ago, the enrollment was 1,244, School District Superintendent Janice Given said.

The School Facilities Board assessment shows the district’s kindergarten through sixth-grade enrollment exceeds the agency’s requirements for assistance while Thatcher’s seventh-grade through 12th-grade enrollment does not, Given said.

The next step in the classrooms project is to advertise for bids from architects, Mangum said.

In an unrelated matter, Given told the board that school districts throughout the state are bracing for a possible $50 million cut in K-12 education because of the state’s anticipated budget shortfall.

A cut in state money would likely impact grant programs and each school district’s capital budget, which is used to purchase items and supplies needed to operate the schools.

School District Business Manager Clay Bowman said Thatcher schools could lose $150,000 if the Arizona Legislature does not fund the 2-percent funding increase school districts receive each year.

In another financial matter, the School Board approved pay increases for nonteaching employees, administrators and sponsors or coaches of extracurricular activities.

Nonteaching employees, such as secretaries or bus drivers will receive a 5-percent pay hike, extracurricular employees will receive an additional 2 percent, and administrators will get a 1.5-percent raise.

The School Board voted teachers an across-the-board pay raise last month.