BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) âÄî A University of Vermont official says he’s optimistic the school has figured out how to avoid a second round of layoffs and possibly reinstate some of the part-lecturers who got pink slips earlier this year. Richard Cate, the school’s chief financial officer, described the school’s revised plan in a memo distributed across the campus Friday after two days of student protest about budget protests. He said federal stimulus money and belt-tightening measures have helped shrink the school’s $12.8 million budget deficit by nearly $6 million and made a second round of layoffs unnecessary. To address concerns that initial cuts in spending on academic programs were too severe, Cate said the school will “reinvest” $3.2 million in for fiscal year 2010 academics by cutting more from the administration side of the budget. How much of that $3.2 million will result in reinstating some of the lost part-time faculty positions is unclear, cate said. President Daniel Fogel, who had said in February a second round of cuts might be necessary, will make the final decision on how the money is spent based on recommendations he gets from a committee chaired by faculty members. Cate said the success of the revised budget plan depends on assurances that UVM hits a projected enrollment target of 9,875 for the 2009-2010 academic year and gets the same $40.7 million in state funding next year that it got this year. “I’m conservative when it comes to budgeting, but it’s my belief we aren’t shooting higher than reality here,” Cate told the Burlington Free Press. ___ Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com