The Renton School District is hoping to get more community input on its budget process through an online survey.

So far the district has collected 65 surveys from community meetings held the week of Jan. 24. Those who came offered verbal and written input regarding their concerns, priorities and ideas on where mandatory reductions should be made as a result of continued state cuts to education funding.

Washington state is again faced with reducing its 2011-2013 budget by $4.6 billion, with more than half coming from cuts to K-12 and higher education. Based on the governor’s budget and the loss of federal stimulus funding, the Renton School District has to reduce its budget next school year by $2.4 million.

The district has asked parents, students, staff and community members for input on where the cuts should come from. The district has posted an online survey to its website, asking the public to provide input on what they find important in district education spending, what they would want to keep from being impacted in budget cuts and where cuts should come from.

Among the priorities that came out of the community budget meeting surveys were: maintain the Discovery or gifted program, maintain music programs, do not open Honey Dew Elementary School as a full K-5 school next year, keep elementary class size low, cut salaries for all teachers and staff, cut administration and maintain athletics.

As of Feb. 2, 230 parents, staff and community members have taken the online budget-priority survey.

The top issue voted on by 48.7 percent of those surveyed is to seek opportunities for increased revenues and identify alternative sources of funding. About 54 percent said the top priority is to keep class size low, with 46.3 percent voting to not compromise safety and security.

Of the respondents to the survey so far, 135 of them were staff members, 74 parents, 16 community members and 5 were unspecified. The online survey continues through Feb. 20.