advertisement

Dist. 54 cuts over 100 positions

Protesters of a plan to cut more than 100 staff positions from Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54 were just as intense but not quite as numerous Thursday as at the previous board of education meeting two weeks ago.

The most controversial aspect of the plan, which the board unanimously approved, is the replacement of 19 nontenured fine arts and physical education teachers with part-timers.

Only about a third of the earlier crowd of 600 showed up for the final vote after the unwavering stance board members and administrators demonstrated two weeks ago.

Kathi Griffin, a former president of the teachers union, criticized the plan for being too hastily created and worthy of a full year’s consideration.

“I believe the method and process that were used are what has taken the district a step backward,” Griffin said.

District 54 employs 57 full-time music, art and PE teachers across its 21 elementary schools. Under the new plan, 19 nontenured members of this group will be laid off and replaced with at least 30 part-time teachers for a combined total of 63 full- and part-time fine arts and PE teachers.

Administrators said the use of part-timers will allow the smaller schools to have their own music, art and PE teachers even without a full week of work being available there.

Despite arguments by protesters over a perceived lack of commitment by part-time teachers, District 54 actually employs 66 now, officials said.

Superintendent Ed Rafferty said the plan was based on four years of observation and will provide students with the same amount of instruction they receive today without making cuts in any other area.

“By the way we staff, we’re not cutting a single program — in fact, we’re expanding programs in several ways,” Rafferty said. “We’re the envy of districts throughout the state of Illinois. Our recruitment pool is wide and deep. Every year our staffing plan reflects the number of students we have to serve.”

Among the other cuts in the plan, 13 classroom teacher positions will be eliminated through retirements, though the district’s average class size will remain 23 students.

Three special education teaching positions and four administrative positions will also be eliminated through attrition and reassignments.

In the early childhood program, the district will reduce 15 teaching positions, 17 instructional positions and six child and family educator positions due to uncertainties over state funding in this area.

In bilingual education, nine bilingual assistant positions will be cut, but 8.5 bilingual resource teachers will take their place in a restructuring move that will keep English language learners at their neighborhood schools.

Finally, 39 special education assistant positions are being cut due to a decrease in special education students.