BUTLER TWP — Eleven security guards who served Butler School District were fired Monday night by the school board when their positions were eliminated.

They were replaced at the district’s 11 elementary schools by armed school police officers who were stationed at the buildings starting Dec. 17 following the Dec. 14 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn. Twenty-six students, teachers and administrators died there.

Mike Strutt, superintendent, attributed the terminations to the district’s efforts to balance the proposed $96.3 million 2013-14 budget, which has a $5.7 million deficit.

“It was discussed last week with the board,” said Strutt.

The board discussed the positions in a closed, executive session Feb. 11, but it is required to vote publicly on personnel matters.

With the dismissals, the district expects to save $200,000 through the end of this school year and through 2013-14 for these positions, Strutt said.

That saving will help reduce the proposed $1.2 million for the district’s 21 armed police officers, 11 unarmed security guards and nine crossing guards in the 2013-14 budget.

The armed police officers add $300,000 to the school’s security costs, but that figure will change, Strutt said.

The district is seeking grants to offset the costs of the force, and the officers’ wages for 2013-14 have not been set, he said. They earn $14.71 to $18.40 per hour now. All are retired state troopers.

Strutt was promised $10,000 in Safe Schools funds after he testified Wednesday in Harrisburg on the district’s efforts to secure its schools, he said. He testified before the state Senate’s Education and Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees.

The school board will discuss the 2013-14 budget at 5:30 p.m. March 4 at a public meeting at the Harriger administration center.

“We’re going to be looking at instructional costs within the context of the budget,” Strutt said.