District 21, teachers working on deal to save afterschool activities

A new teachers contract will probably save all extracurricular activities and keep class numbers down in District 21 next year, Board President Bill Harrison told about 200 worried parents Thursday.

"Thanks to hard work and the progress we've made in negotiations, we are taking class size and extracurricular activities off the table," Harrison said at the start of the meeting. "Our teachers have stepped forward not only now but also in the past to help this district."

Negotiations are still ongoing, but a new contract should be signed by the board's March 18 meeting. If negotiations break down the board will again discuss increasing class sizes and cutting all after school activities, Harrison said.

Harrison declined to go into specifics about the new contract.

Wheeling Township Elementary District 21 is facing a $12 million deficit in the next five years.

In January, the board looked at a list of eight cuts - with the two biggest cost-saving choices being to increase class sizes ($1.7 million) and to cut all before- and after-school activities ($700,000).

The class sizes would have increased from 25-27 students per class to 30 students per class in the elementary schools and 32 students per class in the middle schools.

While the school board decided to drop those two options on Thursday, District 21 will still consider other ways to save money, including cutting administrative positions, professional development and extra work stipends.

"Thank you, teachers, for being a part of the solution and helping solve the problem," District 21 parent Lori Lenard said at the meeting.

Other parents said they would have been willing to car-pool and pay extra for after-school activities to help save them.

"Don't be afraid to ask parents to pay a little extra to be in band or orchestra," Julie Wellisch said. "I'd be willing to do that."

District 21 has about 700 employees and a yearly operating budget of about $100 million. About 80 percent of the budget pays for salaries and benefits.

Besides the economy, District 21 officials blamed their financial situation on tax caps that limit the district's ability to increase taxes for the 2010-2011 school year beyond 0.1 percent, which was the Consumer Price Index from December 2007 to December 2008.

In 2003, voters approved a tax increase that helped pull the district out of a $7 million deficit. Given the economy, asking for another property tax increase is out of the question, according to school officials.