First set of Kaneland schools cuts up for vote; more a real possibility

The Kaneland school board Monday plans to make cuts to balance its 2010-11 budget.

Immediately after voting on those, it will talk about a possible second set of cuts administrators think might be needed if even worse news about state funding of education comes during the governor's budget address next week.

The Phase II cuts, as they are called, would total $2.2 million and could mean the loss of 30 workers, according to a memo in the board packet for Monday's meeting.

Administrators suggest the board vote on Phase II cuts by May 24.

The district's citizens advisory and financial advisory committees have already weighed in on where Phase II cuts should and shouldn't come from. They were asked to rank six areas: elementary class size, middle/high school class size, elective courses, support staff, intervention staff (such as social workers) and sports/extracurricular activities.

The committees deemed lower class sizes in the elementary grades as the most important thing to try to keep, followed by class sizes at the middle and high schools. Next on the priority list were intervention services, followed by electives, support staff and sports/extracurriculars was sixth.

The Phase I cuts to be voted on include eliminating fifth-grade band, interscholastic middle school sports, and 11 clubs and 10 athletics coaches at the high school. That's in addition to cuts to support staff and library workers, delaying purchase of replacement computers and more, for a total of $3.1 million.

The board meets at 7 p.m. in the library at Kaneland High School, Meredith and Keslinger roads, Maple Park.