Elgin Budget Cuts

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www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/northnorthwest/ct-met-u-46-cuts-20100315,0,6908911.story
chicagotribune.com
Elgin-based school district outlines hundreds of job cuts
Teachers get layoff notices as district prepares for funding shortfall

By Amanda Marrazzo, Special to the Tribune

10:01 PM CDT, March 15, 2010
Click here to find out more!

Elgin-based School District U-46 "dug deep" Monday, outlining potential cuts of nearly 1,100 jobs — 732 of them teaching positions — and program reductions including middle school football and art and music lessons for kindergartners.

Facing a $44 million budget gap, officials in U-46, the state's second-largest school system, said they had little choice but to prepare for the cuts, given dwindling property tax revenues and the prospect of losing millions in state money.

More than 700 attended Monday's school board meeting, where parents, teachers and students criticized the decision to eliminate so many jobs and programs.

"These children show up every day whether the economy is good or bad," said Mary Fedor, a sixth-grade teacher at McKinley Elementary in Elgin. "In these days we are teaching far more than the three R's. This is a nonprofit school district, whose job it is to educate children.

"Treating it like we are a corporation where people are expendable is not going to educate and prepare the children for society.

"I know the decisions we have to make are unfathomable to you," school board member Amy Kerber told the audience, crying. "They are unfathomable to me."

The board unanimously approved most of the cuts Monday, but put off its decision on food service, custodial, grounds and maintenance workers until next month.

Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week that he would cut $1.3 billion from education funding. But as he begins budget negotiations with state legislators that could take months, local school boards must start handing out pink slips now — and hope some of them can be hired back if state funding comes through.

"Due to the uncertainty regarding state funding, we must reduce more positions this year and then hope we can recall employees once we know the level of state funding," said U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres.

In the meantime, the district serving more than 40,000 students from 11 communities is preparing for larger class sizes and fewer class offerings for students. Cuts are expected to save the district $29 million.

Those include the closing of Woodland Heights Early Learning Center in Streamwood and the elimination of three elementary assistant principals, eight middle school counselors just hired this year, more than 100 secretarial posts and about 120 educational assistants.

Among the teachers who received pink slips is Carolyn Gilbert, the fashion teacher who lost an eye when she was stabbed by a student two years ago at Elgin High School. Her attacker, then-16-year-old Angel Facio, is now in prison for attempted murder. Gilbert said Monday she intends to fight for her job.

"I feel the district at least owes me my job here at Elgin," she said. "I never ruffled any feathers, and I came back to the school where I was stabbed because I like the school and staff and, of course, the students. Quite frankly, I think I am getting the short end of the stick."

Copyright © 2010, Chicago Tribune

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District U-46 board approves layoffs for 1,037 employees
732 full-time teaching positions in the mix
By Kerry Lester | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished:

Roughly 25 percent of staff in the state's second largest school district are out of a job at the end of the school year.

With a mounting deficit and anticipated cuts to state funding, the Elgin Area School District U-46 board approved layoffs for 1,037 employees Monday night - the most in decades.

That include all first-, second- and third-year teachers, as well as tenured teachers across various departments.

Along with employees, the cuts will hit students in the 41,000-student district hard next year. With fewer teachers, nurses and librarians, class sizes will shoot up, and opportunities for sports and the arts will be significantly reduced. Woodland Heights Early Childhood Center in Streamwood will close its doors.

"As I've sat on this board, we've often described the evolution of public education," board President Ken Kaczynski said, his voice breaking. "School districts across this state are now taking a step back. Next year, our district won't look like it did today."

The 7 p.m. meeting, moved to the Elgin High School auditorium for space, had a standing-room-only crowd.

Public comments about the cuts lasted past 9 p.m.

If state funding is reduced, U-46 expects next year's deficit to be $44 million.

Just shy of $29 million in cuts, including layoffs, can be made without renegotiating union contracts. District officials hope to negotiate another $10.5 million, Chief Financial Officer Ron Ally has said. Negotiations

The layoffs break down into 732 full-time teaching positions; 106 secretarial positions, 121 educational assistants; 54 transportation workers; and 24 administrators and nonunion employees. The board will vote on 21 custodial layoffs and 21 food service layoffs at a later meeting, bringing the total number to 1,079.

The education world's term for these layoffs, a reduction in force (RIF), means the district will operate with significantly fewer employees next year. Positions will be restored only if additional money flows in. These cuts come just a year after U-46 eliminated 348 full-time positions.

The district is laying off more people than necessary to pad itself against state cuts, and plans to bring some staff back if funding improves. If state funding were to remain level, officials said, only 407 positions - 314 of them teachers - would have to be eliminated.

With teacher layoffs, the district has done what it calls a "targeted RIF" - determining how many positions it will need in certain departments, and then cutting in those departments by seniority. Senior teachers with multiple teaching certificates can get slotted into new departments, bumping newer, less experienced teachers.

That procedure didn't sit well with many parents and students who spoke out at Monday's meeting.

"It's a disturbing time in U-46," said Joe McCain, the parent of an Elgin and South Elgin High School student.

"At the end of it all, it's the fault of us all. Many of the employees laid off today are the ones working the hardest. ... I ask everyone is this how we want to decide who leads our children? By how long we've been here? How about we find the way to keep the right people in the right jobs," he said, receiving thunderous applause from the audience.

More than a dozen Elgin High School band and orchestra students turned out in support of Director Jonathan Bogue, cut after his third year at the school. Others spoke for Streamwood High School choral Director David Hain, and Bartlett High School speech coach Anthony Zoubek.

Hain, who is tenured, yet cut all the same, said Streamwood's blossoming music program will be decimated by layoffs, with all of its teachers pink slipped.

"Our (union) contract is more restrictive than anything else at this point," he said. "And you understand that. But it's still likely that someone less skilled than me is probably going to get my job next year."

Other individuals implored the board - and each other - to rally for a funding fix in Springfield.

"It is clear that the ... funding mechanism is irreparably broken," Elgin Teachers' Association Tim Davis said. "We must continually press our legislators to help solve the crisis in funding."

Next year, art, music and gym will be limited to 30-minute classes for elementary school students, and eliminated entirely for half-day kindergartners. Classes are currently being staffed at 28:1 for kindergarten through third grades, and 33:1 for fourth through sixth grades. Newcomer classrooms for students who have recently immigrated will be eliminated.

At the eight middle schools, guidance counselors will be eliminated, and the number of library hours will be cut, along with the football program.

U-46's five high schools will keep swimming pools open for just one semester next year. Assistant athletic directors will have to take on a teaching load.

The Teachers Association has encouraged teachers to wear pink today as a symbol of solidarity with those who are getting pink slipped.

Davis declined to comment on whether the 2,500-member union would take a pay cut in order to save jobs. "We'll be talking about salary at the bargaining table," he said.

Layoffs: Group asking teachers to wear pink as symbol of solidarity

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Among the teachers who received pink slips is Carolyn Gilbert, the fashion teacher

Nothing against Ms. Gilbert, but we don't need fashion teachers.

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District U-46 cuts bite deep into athletics
By John Radtke | Daily Herald StaffContact writer
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=367121

While much could, and probably will, change between now and the end of the school year, the total number of coaches and coaching positions affected by this week's Elgin Area School District U-46 layoffs is staggering.

Data supplied to the Daily Herald by the district's five high schools show 147 coaching positions affected by the layoffs, which at present has claimed the jobs of over 700 teachers in the state's second largest school district.

Over 100 individuals who currently are high school coaches in the district have either been RIF'd (Reduction In Force), displaced or have resigned. A total of 45 head coaching positions are affected and at least 109 individuals.

Each high school will also lose one of the two assistant athletic directors they currently have and the one remaining assistant AD will have a full teaching load.

"It's going to be tough," said Elgin High athletic director Gwen Poore. "We have our challenges, but we'll get through it."

Bartlett and Streamwood high schools were hardest hit. At Bartlett, 38 positions, 25 people and 10 head coaches are lost, while at Streamwood the cuts have affected 47 coaching positions and 29 individuals, including 11 head coaches.

As staggering as those numbers are, they are sure to change.

"We're in a hold pattern until we see how the trickle-down effect comes out," said Poore, whose school has 23 coaching positions, including 11 head coaches and the team physician on the list.

"We now have the voluntary process to go through and we have to hire (Elgin Teachers Association) members before we hire from outside," Poore explained. "We're looking at probably May before we know our teaching staffing for next year."

What that means is that many laid off and displaced coaches could be called back by the district.

A three-part process now takes place. The voluntary process, which goes for two weeks, gives RIF'd or displaced teachers the right to apply for an open position in a new building. They are not guaranteed a position and have to go through the application process.

The second phase is the involuntary process. Teachers who select that route wait to hear which jobs are still open that they are qualified for. While they are guaranteed a job in the involuntary process, they are not guaranteed which building they will teach in or a schedule.

Finally, if jobs still remain open, teachers who were RIF'd then can claim any remaining positions, by seniority.

"Whoever replaces me is going to have a tough job," said Gertz, who has resigned from the AD position at Streamwood at the end of the school year.

South Elgin lost the fewest head coaches - six - but did lose 30 positions and 20 people. But Storm athletic director Jim Szymczak was quick to point out that the situation certainly could change between now and May. And he praised the dedication of the school's collective coaching staff.

"Many of our coaches want to come back regardless if they're teaching in the building," Szymczak said. "I've told them they're still in place until we know what's going to happen. They really want to be there for the kids."

Some of the more notable head coaches who have been RIF'd or displaced include, at Streamwood, head football coach Cal Cummins, boys and girls volleyball coach David Buehring and softball coach Nick Baird. Streamwood lost its entire coaching staff in girls volleyball and softball as well as 9 out of 12 basketball coaches (4 boys and 5 girls). Head baseball coach Steve Diversey has been displaced.

At Larkin, where 19 coaches were RIF'd, football coach Matt Gehrig has resigned and taken that same position at Huntley.

Also RIF'd at Larkin were boys basketball coach Deryn Carter, head wrestling coach Mike Mulhearn, head baseball coach Matt Esterino and head cheerleading coach Mary Esdorn. Girls volleyball coach Gail Johnson recently resigned that position.

Bartlett also lost its cheerleading coach, Jenna Windt, as did South Elgin in Jennifer Hayward.

At Elgin, girls basketball coach and team physician Dr. Nick Bumbales, wrestling coach Justin Goebel, boys and girls volleyball coach Keith Foster, softball coach Chad Dahlman and girls soccer coach Cesar Rosales are among those on the list.

"They've told us callbacks will start April 30. I'm keeping my fingers crossed," said Dahlman, a third-year physical education teacher at Abbott Middle School who is Elgin's first-year varsity softball coach.

Beyond the personnel issues, Poore said cutting coaches will also cause a cut in programs, especially at the underclass levels. The district has also cut middle school football across the board as it attempts to make $44 million in overall cuts.

"A lot of it comes down to where we can help with the budget," Poore said. "We have to determine how many coaches we need for each sport. As an example, we're only going to have one cross country coach. Cutting coaches will cause other cuts. It will vary from sport to sport."

Even the "major sports" there will be some cuts. Poore said Elgin will cut back from 10 football coaches to eight and that football and basketball would have three levels instead of four. One level of baseball and softball was cut for the current spring season as well.

"We also know we have some coaches willing to split stipends and we will have some volunteer coaches," Poore said. "The coaches know they're going to have to spend more time. It's going to be tough. They'll have a lot of responsibility."

Poore said the district's high schools took a 20 percent cut to their operating budgets this year.

"We've had to rely more on the booster club and they've been very helpful," she said. "We haven't been told next year's budget yet. We're also trying to help with transportation and cutting some of the levels will help with that. Transportation is a big factor."