District 204 facing $9.4 million in budget cuts

Indian Prairie Unit District 204 is bracing for $9.4 million in budget cuts next year that may include laying off about 114 teachers, support staff members and administrators along with raising student fees, eliminating some athletic programs and extracurricular offerings, and closing the district’s Frontier Campus.

Officials are hopeful the district can absorb the layoffs by rehiring staff to fill jobs vacated by retiring employees, much as it did in 2011 when the district cut more than $20 million from its budget.

Still, Superintendent Kathy Birkett told school board members Monday the process will be painful. “All the low hanging fruit is gone,” she said. “Now, we’re into the tree and we’re starting to get into the trunk.”

The cuts are necessary because of increased costs caused by sweeping changes in the way children will be taught and educators evaluated as required by Common Core standards adopted by Illinois and other states across the nation.

Implementation will be quick with curriculum changes in District 204 adopted next year and children in Illinois tested on the new standards in the 2014-2015 school year. The changes also call for teachers and principals to be evaluated on student achievement.

“Because of all the initiatives that have come out of Springfield and Common Core, which is going to be great for our kids … we have to spend some money,” Birkett said.

Staff members said about $5 million in expenditures on technology, evaluations, assessments, curriculum, instruction and facilities will be required next year as the district rolls out the changes.

Those costs will be added to a deficit projected at a total $8.6 million for fiscal 2013.

Technology was the highest cost at $2.7 million, but will pay for a system that can better track student achievement and measure growth.

For instance, schools will be able to track a specific student’s growth in an area like reading and tie it to a particular teacher such as a reading specialist.

Technology costs also will cover the replacement of old computers and allow the district to purchase some classroom materials that in the past might have come in the form of a textbook.

“It’s probably the largest curriculum rewrite in the history of the district,” said Jay Strang, assistant superintendent.

District 204 board members, who will take action on the proposed cuts in upcoming meetings, mostly praised district staffers for their work.

“There is no district better at doing more with less than District 204,” President Curt Bradshaw said.

He cited the district’s continued improvement on test scores despite having a lean budget.

Over the past three years, the district has cut a total of about $30 million from its budget by increasing class sizes, eliminating 145 teaching positions, freezing salaries and pinching pennies in other ways like not watering school lawns. The district serves about 29,900 students in Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook and Plainfield with a staff of about 3,100.

In fiscal 2013, the district anticipates bringing in about $289.5 million and spending about $297 million, necessitating the cuts to create a balanced budget, said Dave Holm, assistant superintendent. In fiscal 2012, the district expects to spend about $285 million.

Possible staffing reductions next year would include about 55 certified staff such as teachers, 55 non-bargaining employees and four administrators. Reductions in the district will be announced before spring break.

District officials declined to detail what extracurricular programs and sports might be cut, saying they first wanted to talk to students and teachers affected. But officials did say those serving the fewest students would be considered.

Meanwhile, proposed fee increases were detailed. Middle school athletes would pay $125 up from $100, with high school athletes’ costs increasing to $200 from $160. The technology fee could increase from $40 to $50 and preschool tuition would increase by $10.

The district also will cut costs by closing its Frontier campus, which offered about 300 seniors a college-like experience with college credit for some courses and an open campus. The College of DuPage had been splitting the cost of the rented space with District 204, but recently backed out of that agreement because of the expense.

Students at all three high schools — Metea, Neuqua and Waubonsie — will be able to take the college credit classes as part of their regular school day at those campuses.

Finally, other cost cutting measures include closing 15 schools in July to save on energy use and reducing custodial staff supervisors.