District 196 School Board Approves Budget Adjustments, Including Job Cuts

At their Monday meeting, District 196 school board members passed budget cuts and added revenues totaling $8.5 million for the 2011-12 school year, which include getting rid of 48 full-time equivalent positions—27 of them teaching positions—reducing regular bus service and increasing student activity fees.

The cuts and revenues are a result of the estimates that the district will see a state aid decrease of about 3.5 percent.

About $3.4 million in cuts and new revenues are included in the $8.5 million. The district was be able to avoid another $5 million in cuts by using one-time federal education jobs funding, which became available to the district last year. The school board last fall decided to use the one-time funding for the 2011-12 school year.

The district's general operating budget is about $300 million.

Twenty-six of the 27 teaching positions eliminated will come via the restructuring of the middle school programs in the district.

Since the board's March 14 meeting, the adjustments were modified in three ways.

Facilities department staff was reduced from four full-time positions to three, and high school figure skating is now listed as a reduction, but is not eliminated, to "reflect its future operation as a cost-neutral program to the district." The figure-skating program will continue through the district, but as an independently funded activity.

Also, language was added to clarify the terms of reduction in pay for substitute teachers, who will receive $100 a day instead of $110, a measure that was already implemented.

The altered recommendations did not change the budget's dollar amount.

Another adjustment passed that was originally recommended includes reducing regular bus service by increasing the eligible service distance by one-half mile for all students, according to the district.

There also will be a revenue increase from raising participation fees by $10 for all high school sports and fine arts activities. A table of the initial recommendations is attached to this article.

The initial recommendations . Early in March, the district , where parents and community members could lend input on what recommendations they supported or should be changed. Board members on March 14.

This is the third year the district has faced a budget deficit, and district Communications Director Tony Taschner , as well.