It’s starting to affect just about everyone. Our current economic crisis is hitting homeowners, businesses and many schools across the country.

Next year, it may reach the Austin Public School District.

At the school board meeting Monday, Lori Volz, the district’s director of finance and operations, expressed her concern for the future of the district, as reported by the Herald’s news editor Katie Johnson.

The district has been known for its financial stability, but is now facing a potential bleak outlook depending on what the state has in store for schools next year.

Volz said that once those facts come in, the board will make a decision on the next step.

At the very minimum, it looks like voters will be asked to renew the district’s three referendums, which are set to end in 2010, 2011 and 2013 respectively.

And depending on what the facts are next year will determine whether there will be a potential tax impact to residents, Volz said.

Volz added that even if the first referendum is renewed, it may not be enough to cover inflation for the district, which comes to about $1.5 million a year and takes into consideration such things as salaries, benefits and fuel costs.

Austin isn’t alone and is actually doing well considering the circumstances.

Earlier this month, the Associated Press announced that a crumbling K-12 school in Brownton, Minn., located 65 miles west of the Twin Cities, will be closed after voters rejected an operating levy.

These are dire times, but it could be worse.

We applaud the district for tackling these potential issues now, instead of waiting to see what the state legislature does next June.

We also encourage our residents to stay up to date on the issues facing our school district, so when the time comes to renew the referendums or perhaps vote on a bigger one, we’ll be prepared to make those decisions.