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Post by EagleDad on Mar 11, 2010 16:18:04 GMT -6
Dear District 204 Community, As the financial news from Springfield continues to be uncertain for education, our administrators have worked on a proposal to cut an additional $12.2 million from next year's budget. This is on top of the $9.2 million we cut in December in order to achieve a balanced budget for next year. We have prioritized instruction and have tried to examine all areas against the criteria of minimal impact to students. However, budget cuts of this magnitude are difficult. When you are forced to trim $21.4 million from your budget in a single year, it becomes impossible to not have an impact on our students. We began looking for cuts as far away from the classroom as possible. This includes a plan to reduce 14.4 percent of our central office staff and 6 percent of our building level administrators. We are also proposing a pay freeze for all administrators next year and cutting all administrators' budgets. Following the recommendation of our Citizens Financial Advisory Committee, we are conducting a dependent eligibility insurance audit and claims audit, which should provide a savings of $1 million. We are also looking at savings through energy management and will implement a 4-day work week for this summer. Two areas that will see a delay in new projects are building maintenance and technology. Thankfully our schools are relatively young and we are not facing major structural needs, but work to maintain the structural integrity of our schools cannot be delayed indefinitely. We are also planning to delay some technology projects that would place new equipment in our schools. Delaying the technology refresh cycle limits student learning as they will be using older equipment and software. Parents will notice some changes in the areas of fees. We are proposing a small increase in registration and technology fees. We are also looking at adding or increasing extra-curricular fees to save some programs that would otherwise need to be eliminated. With eighty percent of our budget in staffing expenses, budget cuts will impact our teaching staff. Although difficult to think about in this economy, we must reduce staff. In order to achieve a savings, we must look at class sizes across the district. By proposing an increase in class size we will release 145, or 6.5 percent, of our teaching positions. At the elementary level, the proposal calls for increasing the maximum class size in second through fifth grades by two from 29 to 31. At the secondary level, the average class size will increase by two. As we finalize our proposal to include clerical and program reductions, please know that we prioritize instructional opportunities for our students. We will continue to communicate with you as information becomes available. The next budget update will be presented at the March 22 board of education meeting and will be available on our website. We have created a section of our website devoted to this budget issue so our community can stay informed. You can find the information at ipsdweb.ipsd.org/Subpage.aspx/BudgetSincerely, Kathy Birkett Superintendent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- School District 204 www.ipsd.org780 Shoreline Drive Aurora, IL 60504 USA |
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Post by EagleDad on Mar 11, 2010 16:47:34 GMT -6
As the financial news from Springfield continues to be uncertain for education... It's almost like they still want to deny it, even after the Quinn's address. Don't they have to hand out the pink slips by the end of next week? (before their first real discussion of budget on 3/22) This is on top of the $9.2 million we cut in December in order to achieve a balanced budget for next year. I wonder at what point they ever fooled themselves into thinking they actually had a balanced budget. We are also proposing a pay freeze for all administrators next year and cutting all administrators' budgets. Should include the author - we'll be watching. Following the recommendation of our Citizens Financial Advisory Committee, we are conducting a dependent eligibility insurance audit and claims audit, which should provide a savings of $1 million. To me the $1 million savings here is either dilusional or there is rampant, massive fraud (that someone already knows about).I suspect the former. We are also looking at savings through energy management and will implement a 4-day work week for this summer. take an extra day each week (make it 3), we won't mind. We are also planning to delay some technology projects that would place new equipment in our schools. Delaying the technology refresh cycle limits student learning as they will be using older equipment and software. Good call - maybe you should stop running your own secret charity to give away taxpayer assets also. Parents will notice some changes in the areas of fees. We are proposing a small increase in registration and technology fees. We are also looking at adding or increasing extra-curricular fees to save some programs that would otherwise need to be eliminated. I'm thinking ya need to get a little more specific on that one. It's quite vague. With eighty percent of our budget in staffing expenses, budget cuts will impact our teaching staff. Yep By proposing an increase in class size we will release 145, or 6.5 percent, of our teaching positions. But only 6 percent of the building administration? That doesn't seem prioritized towards minimizing the impact on students to me. Oh, great content - this and a couple of old e-news blasts, and some PDFs from your "Balanced Budget". |
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Post by Arch on Mar 11, 2010 16:57:37 GMT -6
The only recommendation of the CFAC was to do an insurance audit like virtually every other business did last year? Like ED, I am wondering if the $1million was pulled out of someone's a$$ or if they already know of the fraud and let it continue in the past.
But seriously... That's all they recommended?
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Post by slp on Mar 11, 2010 17:33:16 GMT -6
I am NOT satisfied with Administrative salary freezes.....the should receive CUTS just like the private sector has seen. If they are cutting our kids education I expect their salaries cut as well...NOT just frozen.
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Post by al on Mar 11, 2010 18:02:16 GMT -6
"Parents will notice some changes in the areas of fees. We are proposing a small increase in registration and technology fees. We are also looking at adding or increasing extra-curricular fees to save some programs that would otherwise need to be eliminated."
Interested to see what their idea of small changes are.
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Post by EagleDad on Mar 11, 2010 18:06:08 GMT -6
Parents will notice some changes in the areas of fees. I'm adding that one to y list right below Ronald Reagan's 9 most terrifying words: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help." Tinkering much with fees to generate non-voter approved revenue is wrong. I'll be watching to see it is kept to a minimum. |
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Post by EagleDad on Mar 11, 2010 18:09:13 GMT -6
Received within an hour of Birkett's e-News: Dear White Eagle Community,
Superintendent Kathy Birkett writes, "...if schools are not funded, education will not be delivered in the way we have become accustomed to in our district...I'm asking for your help in contacting officials in Springfield to let them know they need to meet their commitment to our students' education. They also need to know the devastating impact that decreased funding will have on education."
In response to Superintendent Kathy Birkett's district-wide email and letter in The Sun, we, the White Eagle PTA Executive Board, must ask for your help in contacting the State of Illinois to let them know that our schools need the funding due to them. Please help by writing emails or letters or making phone calls, and urging your friends to do the same.
Sincerely,
The White Eagle PTA Executive Board This is starting to look suspiciously like a concerted effort to panic/scare the public into Quinn's gambit. I call. I like a good game of poker. No raises (taxes), let's keep he pot where it is. Now show me your hand (the budget) |
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Post by slp on Mar 11, 2010 18:16:15 GMT -6
yep..... lets put the fear of God into the unions who then pressure parents...ALL so that the unions continue to vote in the Dems! Unbelievable! If this State votes for another Democratic Governor they are all lemmings!
NO tax increases ! The State hemmorages money...and will continue to..adding more revenue will not change anything in the long term without efficient spending!
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Post by Arch on Mar 11, 2010 18:40:51 GMT -6
Get the alcoholic more whiskey.. his glass is empty!
That's their idea of a solution.
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Post by researching on Mar 11, 2010 18:54:23 GMT -6
Uhhhmmm?  Tell me again why we built the monstrosity on Molitor and Eola? Oh that's right, to alleviate overcrowding. Now lets cut the teaching staff and jam more kids into each classroom. Keep the teachers...lose the administrators. Please people (White Eagle PTA), don't fall for the same song and dance. |
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Post by macrockett on Mar 11, 2010 19:01:20 GMT -6
Ok, are we ready to start the PTA meeting now? Oh, wait, I almost forgot. We have refreshment. Please come up and get a cup...  |
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Post by EagleDad on Mar 11, 2010 19:19:21 GMT -6
I understand some notifications/terminations/pink slips may have occurred in our teacher ranks today.
For those affected, our thoughts are with you and your families, these are tough times, and I wish this weren't happening as well. Nothing sucks worse than getting stabbed in the back (that's how i feels anyways) after you have poured you heart and sole into a job you love. Having been there myself, my only advise is that you will get through, probably stronger than before.
If it is true that termination notifications happened I feel bad that they did not even try to work with the current contract to keep some on board. If it were me, I'd rather see a 5% cut than to see 10% of my colleagues decimated. Sad part is 5% of the tenured teachers salaries (which are higher) would probably save laying off 10% in the non-tenured ranks.
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Post by asmodeus on Mar 11, 2010 21:25:13 GMT -6
Exactly. Think about that the next time a teacher says he or she is first and foremost concerned about the kids, as that would be a lie. I'm not saying it's wrong to be selfish, but please, spare us the platitudes about the kids.
Unions once served a noble purpose, but are now a scourge on society.
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Tell me again why we built the monstrosity on Molitor and Eola? Oh that's right, to alleviate overcrowding. Now lets cut the teaching staff and jam more kids into each classroom. 
