Grayslake District 46 debates what to cut

Renegotiation of employee union contracts for Grayslake Elementary District 46 is part of an effort to fill a $2.27 million budget hole projected for the 2010-11 academic year.

Teachers next year are in line for what officials have said would be an average 4 percent raise, which includes base salary and standard step increases. The three-year deal was struck in 2008.

But members of a District 46 advisory financial task force Wednesday night learned renegotiation of contracts for teachers and other employees is occurring. The panel is discussing how to cut costs or find new revenue to close the $2.27 million gap.

District 46's elected school board members will receive the group's recommendations before making a final decision.

Grayslake Federation of Teachers union President Diane Elfering is part of the 18-member financial task force.

The teacher said union members have helped District 46 weather financial storms over the years and are willing to do what they can now.

District 46 board member Michael Carbone, who also was appointed to the financial task force, said it should not be taboo to suggest teachers take a pay freeze in 2010-11.

He said he knows private-sector employees who have gone four years without pay hikes.

Carbone added that instructors get summers off, unlike typical employees in private business.

"That's a great deal. I'd love to do that, but I don't," Carbone said.

Committee member Colleen Wade objected to Carbone dwelling on teachers pay at Wednesday's meeting, saying it's an issue out of the advisory panel's hands.

"Ultimately, it's up to the unions, it's up to the administration and it's up to the board," Wade said.

Other ideas on the table include the following:

• No administrator raises in 2010-11.

• Slicing daily substitute teacher pay from $100 to $95 to save $20,000 annually.

• Increasing student breakfast and lunch prices by 25 cents to generate an extra $50,000 yearly.

Like other suburban school systems, District 46 is in a financial jam because of a consumer price index, or inflation rate, that's lower than what officials have grown to expect. CPI is what schools use to get cash from a property tax levy each year.

Since 1991, Illinois law has limited many governments to increase property taxes at the rate of inflation or 5 percent, whichever is lower. Federal officials announced last month the 2009 consumer price index was 2.7 percent.