Teacher cuts could be on the way if state lawmakers cut more money from North Central Florida Schools.

Local superintendents may have to make 10 to 12 percent cuts for next year, Alachua County Superintendent Dan Boyd said. He said that's what all superintendents were told at a recent statewide meeting by Commissioner of Education Eric Smith.

"There's no fat left," Boyd said. "We're down to the muscle and the bone, and it's going to be very painful if the state goes through with that."

But Tuesday, Smith said he didn't put a number to the cuts, but only advised they anticipate the worst. Several North Central Florida counties are already putting together administrative teams to look where any trimming can be done. In Alachua County, Boyd said people make up 80 percent of his budget, so staff cuts or salary reductions are almost a certainty. Plus, he said previous years of budget balancing unfairly targeted schools.

Governor Charlie Crist said he does not want to put a percentage on the cuts yet, but the total statewide education cuts could be in the billions.