LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Two Iowa school districts have decided not to share grades in the upcoming school year. The decision means the Remsen-Union and Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn school districts will have to make big budget cuts. Together, they face budget cuts totaling about $600,000.

The Le Mars Daily Sentinel reports Remsen-Union will have to make about $400,000 worth of reductions in general fund expenditures to not face a budget shortfall. The MMC district will have to make about $200,000 worth of budget cuts. The decision was made at an MMC school board meeting Monday. Remsen-Union school board members also were in attendance.

Both school boards had to approve a whole grade sharing plan before February. Grade sharing would have meant sending students in grades five through eight to one district and those in grades nine through 12 to another.