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Hartford Public Schools are in the midst of major restructuring just as the economy is souring. The district released details that show it faces serious a budget shortfall, but administrators say its reform plan will stay on track.

This school year ushered in new, smaller high schools in Hartford. The district is also working to comply with a desegregation settlement. And then there's the work of closing the achievement gap, which remains the biggest in the nation.

Now, there is also a projected budget shortfall to deal with.

At a meeting before the Hartford City Council and the local school board on Wednesday, school officials released their budget forecasts for next year. All three of the possible scenarios project a cut from this school year.

Paula Altieri is the chief financial officer of Hartford Public Schools.

"It's really going to mean an overhaul for the system. We need to keep the momentum going on the reform. We're seeing positive results for the first time in a very long time."

The district has the highest poverty rate in Connecticut. It depends on the state for two-thirds of its funding, but officials expect that to decline next year. The worst case scenario would be $25 million less, which could require the district to eliminate 345 jobs or 13% of its workforce.

"80%t of our budget is tied up in salaries and benefits.So really it's unrealistic to think that we could make a $25.5 million dollar without having to impact our workforce."

One way the district is proposing to bring in more money is to charge other school districts tuition when their students cross into Hartford to go to a magnet school. The rate would be $4,200 per student.

Next year's budget won't be finalized until this spring. Altieri says part of the reason for laying out the numbers now is to make sure lawmakers realize how tenuous the situation in Hartford is.