Polk County School board members were asked Wednesday to make some difficult funding decisions, or at least to start mulling them over.

Interim Superintendent John Stewart and the district staff came up with a number of items, programs and changes that would help lessen the $16 to $18 million shortfall said to result from pay increases awarded to teachers and school staff earlier this year. The raises were paid from reserves, but the same shortfall will occur again next year, so a more permanent way to fund them will have to be found.