Post by doctorwho on Feb 15, 2012 9:50:07 GMT -6
Here comes the babbling about the state and how lean were are ( How many administrors ?) - however it appears from the comments after this article already- people are not going to be fooled by bullshit this time.
If you haven't already registered on the Sun site- you should and mkae your feelings known there also....
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napervillesun.suntimes.com/10635734-417/indian-prairie-schools-facing-more-staffing-cuts.html
Indian Prairie schools facing more staffing cuts
By Hank Beckman For The Sun February 14, 2012 9:58AM
Reprints
District 204 Superintendent Kathy Birkett
Updated: February 15, 2012 2:35AM
Indian Prairie School District 204 is looking at more staff cuts as one of the state’s largest school districts continues to face budget shortfalls.
District 204 serves nearly 29,000 students in Aurora and Naperville.
With $30.4 million already chopped from the budget over the last three years, the proposed $9.4 million in cuts for fiscal year 2013 include reducing district faculty by 55 full-time equivalent teaching positions.
“It’s extremely painful,” Superintendant Kathy Birkett said.
In addition to the faculty members, which represent 2.6 percent of current faculty, 54 support and clerical staff positions would be eleminated under the plan, as well as four administrators.
The cuts were outlined at Monday night’s School Board meeting, where administrators presented the plan as a way of reaching a balanced budget. The board will look at the potential cuts at future meetings dealing with the budget.
Contacted by telephone, District 204 Communications Director Janet Buglio expressed guarded optimism that many of the teachers might be brought back.
“Somehow through the natural process it will work out that we can hire these people back,” she said, noting that many faculty laid off during the last big budget crisis had the opportunity to return.
Birkett acknowledged the plan called for cuts of $800,000 more than the projected fiscal year 2013 deficit of $8.6 million, but said that might be necessary because the district is uncertain about its funding from the state of Illinois.
Other cost-cutting measures proposed include:
• Increasing athletic fees from $100 to $125 for middle schools and $160 to $200 for high schools.
• Increasing the technology fee from $40 to $50.
• Closing some schools in July to save on energy costs.
• Reducing custodial expenses,
• Renegotiating contracts with TV and technology vendors.
• Decreasing the use of substitute teachers.
• Reducing stipends.
• Encouraging retirements.
The cuts also would affect the district’s dual credit program with the College of DuPage by effectively closing the Frontier Campus. COD already opted out of its share of the lease with Frontier, citing budget constraints.
Without COD’s participation, District 204 would probably be unable to continue the program that seeks to replicate a college atmosphere for some of its high school students.
Contacted by telephone, COD spokesperson Joe Moore stressed the college’s commitment to the program, but said that given the current economy, staying at Frontier would have been a mistake.
“It’s not the best use of funds,” he said.
A big problem for District 204 is state funding. Dave Holm, assistant superintendant of business for District 204, indicated through an email from Buglio that the state of Illinois currently owes District 204 $4.5 million in back payments.
“What is frustrating for us is that the continued budget challenges we face are from state funding issues beyond our control,” Birkett said in a letter posted on the district’s website. “District 204 operates with the lowest operating expense per pupil and with significantly fewer administrators than any district in DuPage County. As a district that already operates ‘lean’, we reached out to our staff and our community for suggestions on ways to save money.”
District 204 officials received more than 550 suggestions on ways to resolve the budget crisis and those suggestions were reviewed by administrators and the district’s Citizens Financial Advisory Committee.
The $4.5 million that is owed District 204 would almost cover the $5 million cost of new state mandates that are coming for fiscal year 2013, district officials said. Much of the required spending, including $2.7 million for technology and $1 million for curriculum, involves changes needed to meet the new Common Core Curriculum Standards being adopted in Illinois.
Illinois is one of 27 states in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is a consortium of states that have adopted the Common Core Standards and are working together to develop assessments in English and math anchored in what it believes students need to know at the finish of each grade level and, in a larger sense, what they need to be ready for college and careers.
Those assessments will be ready for states to administer during the 2014-15 school year. The next year, PARCC plans to set scores on those assessments that will indicate whether a student is on track to be college ready.
If you haven't already registered on the Sun site- you should and mkae your feelings known there also....
---------------------
napervillesun.suntimes.com/10635734-417/indian-prairie-schools-facing-more-staffing-cuts.html
Indian Prairie schools facing more staffing cuts
By Hank Beckman For The Sun February 14, 2012 9:58AM
Reprints
District 204 Superintendent Kathy Birkett
Updated: February 15, 2012 2:35AM
Indian Prairie School District 204 is looking at more staff cuts as one of the state’s largest school districts continues to face budget shortfalls.
District 204 serves nearly 29,000 students in Aurora and Naperville.
With $30.4 million already chopped from the budget over the last three years, the proposed $9.4 million in cuts for fiscal year 2013 include reducing district faculty by 55 full-time equivalent teaching positions.
“It’s extremely painful,” Superintendant Kathy Birkett said.
In addition to the faculty members, which represent 2.6 percent of current faculty, 54 support and clerical staff positions would be eleminated under the plan, as well as four administrators.
The cuts were outlined at Monday night’s School Board meeting, where administrators presented the plan as a way of reaching a balanced budget. The board will look at the potential cuts at future meetings dealing with the budget.
Contacted by telephone, District 204 Communications Director Janet Buglio expressed guarded optimism that many of the teachers might be brought back.
“Somehow through the natural process it will work out that we can hire these people back,” she said, noting that many faculty laid off during the last big budget crisis had the opportunity to return.
Birkett acknowledged the plan called for cuts of $800,000 more than the projected fiscal year 2013 deficit of $8.6 million, but said that might be necessary because the district is uncertain about its funding from the state of Illinois.
Other cost-cutting measures proposed include:
• Increasing athletic fees from $100 to $125 for middle schools and $160 to $200 for high schools.
• Increasing the technology fee from $40 to $50.
• Closing some schools in July to save on energy costs.
• Reducing custodial expenses,
• Renegotiating contracts with TV and technology vendors.
• Decreasing the use of substitute teachers.
• Reducing stipends.
• Encouraging retirements.
The cuts also would affect the district’s dual credit program with the College of DuPage by effectively closing the Frontier Campus. COD already opted out of its share of the lease with Frontier, citing budget constraints.
Without COD’s participation, District 204 would probably be unable to continue the program that seeks to replicate a college atmosphere for some of its high school students.
Contacted by telephone, COD spokesperson Joe Moore stressed the college’s commitment to the program, but said that given the current economy, staying at Frontier would have been a mistake.
“It’s not the best use of funds,” he said.
A big problem for District 204 is state funding. Dave Holm, assistant superintendant of business for District 204, indicated through an email from Buglio that the state of Illinois currently owes District 204 $4.5 million in back payments.
“What is frustrating for us is that the continued budget challenges we face are from state funding issues beyond our control,” Birkett said in a letter posted on the district’s website. “District 204 operates with the lowest operating expense per pupil and with significantly fewer administrators than any district in DuPage County. As a district that already operates ‘lean’, we reached out to our staff and our community for suggestions on ways to save money.”
District 204 officials received more than 550 suggestions on ways to resolve the budget crisis and those suggestions were reviewed by administrators and the district’s Citizens Financial Advisory Committee.
The $4.5 million that is owed District 204 would almost cover the $5 million cost of new state mandates that are coming for fiscal year 2013, district officials said. Much of the required spending, including $2.7 million for technology and $1 million for curriculum, involves changes needed to meet the new Common Core Curriculum Standards being adopted in Illinois.
Illinois is one of 27 states in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. PARCC is a consortium of states that have adopted the Common Core Standards and are working together to develop assessments in English and math anchored in what it believes students need to know at the finish of each grade level and, in a larger sense, what they need to be ready for college and careers.
Those assessments will be ready for states to administer during the 2014-15 school year. The next year, PARCC plans to set scores on those assessments that will indicate whether a student is on track to be college ready.