DeKalb Schools Superintendent Crawford Lewis says the school system will close four schools after this academic year and cut spending as it works to close an anticipated $88 million deficit in its 2010-11 budget.

“We are going to have to do more with less,” he said during his annual State of the School System address this morning at Oglethorpe Power Co. in Tucker. “[And] once we become lean we must work to keep it that way.”

Earlier this month, the school system’s anticipated deficit jumped from about $56 million to $88 million. Proposals for filling the shortfall have ranged from furlough days and across-the-board salary cuts to a property tax increase.

Lewis said his plan to help fill the new projected shortfall will be released this week.

The 2010-2011 budget year for the school system begins June 1; the DeKalb County Board of Education must have the budget approved by May.

Lewis said he was working to balance the budget without a tax increase — though that would mean cuts in services and programs.

“We can’t continue to be all things to all people,” he said. “If we all buckle down we can do what is necessary to meet this challenge.”

Also during the address, Lewis announced a two-phase plan to close at least 12 schools across the county.

He said the school system will close four elementary schools after this school year. It will close an additional eight to 10 elementary, middle and high schools in the coming years.

Lewis said the school district has 29 elementary schools with enrollment under 300 students. The state reportedly will not reimburse the county system for school operations unless enrollments are larger.

Recommendations on which schools to close would be an-nounced in the coming months as a special committee completes its work, he said.

Lewis said he would be asking DeKalb County voters to support an extension of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program to help fund capital improvement projects at school facilities.

DeKalb County shoppers pay a voter-approved 1 percent sales tax that goes to the school system.

The current tax, SPLOST III, expires in 2012. Lewis said he will ask voters to approve SPLOST IV in November 2011.

“Our needs are great and we need your support.”

For more information on the DeKalb County School System budget and a schedule of Board of Education meetings visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us.