BOSTON -- Last-minute maneuvers by Boston Mayor Tom Menino may prevent serious cuts to the Boston school system, but the stopgap measures will not hold for long, and some school closings will eventually happen.

NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported Wednesday that Menino is injecting almost one-sixth of the city's savings account into classrooms, but even watchdog groups said that it was the only responsible option.

VIDEO: Schools Saved For Now

"Politically, this is probably the only way out," Boston Municipal Research Bureau's Sam Tyler said.

Boston School Superintendent Dr. Carol Johnson slashed $20 million from her $800 million budget. She cut $8 million from her office by eliminating 40 jobs and having fewer pay hikes. About $1 million was cut from transportation. There are now fewer buses for private and parochial students. There was also a $1 million cut in food services.

"Schools will experience fewer people helping them with some of the literacy and math coaching work that we've done because we had to reduce in that area," Johnson said.

The school has lost nearly 6,000 students in five years.

"It's the reduction in enrollment that has led to less revenues available to the school department -- both in terms of Title 1 federal funds as well as Chapter 70 -- the state aid for education," Tyler said.

"We have 8,000 more seats in the district than we actually have students. We will be looking at places for releasing spaces and looking to get out of those leases. We will certainly be looking at schools that are significantly under utilized and under enrolled. We will have to ask ourselves: Is there another school they can go to close by?" Johnson said.

Menino said that shutting down schools this fall was not feasible.

"Minimal destruction as possible. That is why we have decided not to close schools this September. We will probably have to close them next September," Menino said.