Lake Washington School District (LWSD) will hold a series of meetings at local high schools to gather ideas on how best to cut between $3.6 million and $8.4 million from its 2011 budget.

Those are the figures that school officials expect to be asked to shed as the state government addresses another large budget deficit in the face of falling revenues, the result of the economic recession which resulted from the collapse of an unregulated and poorly functioning banking industry.

According to a press release issued by the LWSD Tuesday, “cutting that much more from the district budget after last year’s $7.7 million reduction will be difficult.”

A public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on March 25 at Eastlake High School, the final of a series of five meetings in the district.

The other meetings:

March 16 – Juanita High School, 7 – 9 p.m.

March 17 – Rose Hill Jr. High, 4 – 6 p.m.

March 17 – Lake Washington High School, 7 – 9 p.m.

March 24 – Redmond High School, 7 – 9 p.m.

For those who cannot attend one of these meetings, the information will also be available on the district Web site. An online input form will be open from March 16 through March 26.

Last year’s budget input from parents, staff and community members provided important direction for the district’s budget process. A similar process will be used this year.

Parents, staff and community members are invited to attend any one of five meetings where they will receive information on the expected budget and potential options for where to reduce the district budget. Everyone will have the opportunity to fill out and submit a form with their choices.

“Last year’s process really helped us understand community priorities,” said superintendent of the LWSD, Chip Kimball. “I encourage all citizens, especially parents, to come and weigh in on what is most important for our school district.”