District 204 plans more budget cuts
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school board members are taking stock of about a dozen ways administrators plan to cut roughly $1.6 million in 2012 budget costs.
The board on Monday heard an update on the district’s fiscal 2012 tentative budget based on the recently approved state budget, which included less money for schools because of a $152 million cut in general state aid.
While the budget was approved by the General Assembly, the governor still must sign it.
“As of right now, I think there is some clarity for the first time this year about what the state budget is going to look like,” said Dave Holm, assistant superintendent of business. “It is less money for schools across the state.”
District officials were conservative in planning because of uncertainty in Springfield, even budgeting for the possibility the state would be behind in its payments to schools as was the case last year.
If the state catches up on payments, the district could have an $8 million to $12 million surplus that would put money back into its fund balance.
Current projections call for District 204 revenue to be about $285.8 million with expenditures around $284.6 million, meaning a $522,000 excess.
“It is significant in that it is a positive number and we have a balanced budget,” Holm said.
The district plans to hold a public hearing on its 2012 budget in August and to adopt a final plan in September.
District 204 has been operating under an austerity plan that included $28 million in cuts, but administrators were able to find an additional $1.6 million in reductions.
“Kudos to you administrators. You guys continue to amaze me,” board member Mark Rising said. “I thought you had tried to uncover every stone.”
Superintendent Kathy Birkett said the administration works well as a team, but it has been a difficult process.
“You have to know that some of these things are extremely painful,” she said. “It’s what we have to do right now. Hopefully financial times will get better.”
The district already is moving forward on several ways to save money or raise revenue, including: leasing school property to store buses from its bus service provider during off hours; eliminating several bus routes by asking students who drive to school to opt out of the service; using teachers to drive small buses for the STEPS program; increasing preschool tuition by up to $10 a month; and increasing lunch fees by 10 cents to recover increased costs.
Other cost-cutting measures unveiled Monday include determining more efficient ways to use substitute teachers and staff; reducing the number of bus monitors; holding off on plans to reconfigure Neuqua’s track; asking schools to cut costs an average of 5 percent in supplies and capital outlays; managing text books and novels more efficiently; reducing the number of staff who go for professional development and then using those who go to train others; and using 10 percent less paper across the district.
New principal at Scullen Middle School
Indian Prairie Unit District 204 has named a new principal for Scullen Middle School and assistant principals at three other schools.
Mark Truckenbrod will take over as principal at Scullen, moving from Neuqua Valley High School where he served as associate principal overseeing discipline, safety and supervising special education services.
Assistant principal posts were filled at Metea Valley High School by Quynh Harvey, who was a principal at Cowlishaw Elementary School; Crone Middle School by Autumn Desiderio, who is moving from a dean of students post at a Plainfield Unit District 202 middle school; and Crone Middle School by Michael Dutdut, who served as a Waubonsie Valley High School dean.