Dist. 204 looks to erase deficit

With the 2010 budget year underway, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials have introduced a 30-point plan to erase a projected $9.2 million deficit from the 2011 budget.

The deficit was caused by decreased state funding and a drastic slowdown in local tax revenue, officials said.

After reviewing more than 200 ideas submitted by the community, staff and the district's Citizens Financial Advisory Committee, Superintendent Kathy Birkett said the list was narrowed to suggestions that would have the least impact on classroom activities.

"A real major focus was on the students and, as we were deciding what we needed to be austere about and where we were making some of our decisions, we really tried not to affect the classroom," Assistant Superintendent for Finance Dave Holm said. "So that was a driving force and our mission throughout the entire process."

The recommendation presented to the board Monday night focused on six areas: increasing revenue, delaying expenditures, increasing operational efficiencies, examining staffing levels, reviewing health benefit claims and cutting several program costs.

Some of the 30 items in the plan include consolidating high school courses with lower enrollments; reducing operations and maintenance spending by 25 percent; slowing the technology replacement program; auditing health benefit claims; minimally increasing building and facility rental fees and eliminating six positions in the central office.

Board President Curt Bradshaw said he was happy to see savings measures spread across all areas of the district.

"When a family balances their budget, everyone sacrifices a bit here and there and this plan is very similar," Bradshaw said. "There's not one area where you'll see a traumatic impact, so I think they've done a great job making sure any sacrifices that are there are spread amongst the district."

While Holm was praised for erasing a $6.5 million deficit through similar measures to produce a balanced budget this year, he said repeating the task won't be easy.

"This process is really phase two, because phase one of cutting costs really relates to the current year," Holm said. "We had a $6.5 million deficit projection about a year ago for this year, and through our process, we were able to bring that to a balanced budget. But it's important to note that the low-hanging fruit has been picked and each time we go through this, it gets more challenging."

While saving where possible will be key, Holm said it's equally important for the district to continue bringing in new revenue.

"We're particularly interested in what we can do with building rental, because we think there's some opportunities there," he said. "We need to look at the fees themselves, and we also need to see if there's a way to take these assets that the community helped pay for and leverage them for additional revenue."

Holm said the plan will keep the district afloat for the near future, and predicted a slow housing market rebound also may aid the district.

"I would say that with these reductions - most of which are not one-year wonders - they're reductions that continue on as we go forward," Holm said. "We'll be pretty well set for at least the next few years."