Roanoke's yawning school budget shortfall will be larger than anticipated.

School officials learned Thursday that the gap next year will be close to $16 million, up from $15 million, because of diminishing tax revenues. Superintendent Rita Bishop got a phone call from city officials informing her of the increase Thursday evening as she was driving to James Madison Middle School for the last of a week's worth of public meetings to discuss ways to address the funding crisis.

"Every day there's a piece of information that is worse than the day before," she said. "I appreciate the fact that they told me."

The school system has already proposed closing schools, laying off up to 100 teachers, freezing wages, eliminating an early-retirement program, cutting administrative jobs, privatizing the transportation system and scaling back a host of programs to deal with the shortfall. It's unclear where officials will look next to find further cuts.

"This is a downright catastrophe," Bishop told parents at James Madison.

School board Chairman David Carson concurred.

"This is pretty rough stuff," he said. "This is rough stuff for every school district in this state and probably the country as well."

The latest grim news is likely to hit city coffers as well, although it's unclear to what extent. Council members are scheduled to meet this morning to discuss the budget.

The school board is discussing two school closing plans, each of which would save more than $3 million. The first would close William Ruffner and Raleigh Court middle schools and disperse their students to other schools. The second would also close William Ruffner and Raleigh Court, but it would move students from Raleigh Court and Fishburn Park elementary schools into the building now occupied by Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Woodrow Wilson's students would move into James Madison, creating a 900-student middle school. James Madison would also take over the vacated Fishburn Park building, located next door.

The school board will hold a public hearing on the closing plans at Lucy Addison Middle School at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Board members must present their budget to the city by March 15.