The first major step in what figures to be some painful budget-cutting decisions by the Cobb County Board of Education begins tonight. 

The school board is slated to vote on a tentative fiscal year 2013 budget that includes a recommendation for hundreds of teaching and staff reductions to help eliminate a projected $62 million deficit. 

Mike Addison, the Cobb County School District's chief financial officer, is suggesting that 350 staff cuts, imposing furlough days, increasing class sizes and other measures, including using $21 million in reserve funds, be undertaken to balance the budget. 

But school board member David Banks questioned most of the proposed cuts. 

Banks, who represents the Pope, Lassiter and Sprayberry districts, said that $50 million in reserve funds should be used to trim the deficit. 

School board chairman Scott Sweeney, who represents the Walton and Wheeler districts, pointed out earlier this month that the school system wouldn't be having the severity of budget issues if the state was fully funding the Quality Basic Education formula. 

The final budget is scheduled to be approved on May 17.