Geneva schools forced to cut $1.4 million

While Geneva Unit School District 304 officials backed off some cuts proposed to help balance the district's budget, it pretty much stuck to a plan to reduce spending for next school year by about $1.4 million.

To help avoid a budget deficit, administrators had suggested cutting six elementary-school library assistants, seven special education assistants, the middle-school police liaison officer, two school secretaries and the coordinator of accelerated and enriched education.

But board members, district staff and local residents who attended a public forum on the matter Saturday all opposed the library, special ed and accelerated/enrichment coordinator cuts.

The district has 93 special-education assistants. Superintendent Kent Mutchler said there are cases where students do not need an assistant the whole day, and therefore could share one. Ultimately, however, the staffing level will depend on what the individual education plans for special-education students mandate.

Instead of cutting all the elementary library assistants, their hours were reduced. Each elementary school will have an assistant two hours per day, except for Williamsburg, which will get one three hours per day because of its larger enrollment.

"I'm still not entirely happy with it," school board member Kelly Nowak said, suggesting the district should consider taking some of the money used for the middle- and high-school library assistants and use it for the elementary programs. "If we have to be cutting hours, we shouldn't be cutting them from children that aren't self-sufficient (using the library)."

The accelerated/enrichment program will have a "lead teacher" next year who will be paid a $2,500 stipend. The original recommendation was to have building principals take the reins of those programs, but parents of gifted students didn't like that idea.

Trustee Leslie Juby questioned how many hours a week the lead teacher would work on the program, and what specific duties the person would have. Neither has been finalized, according to Craig Collins, assistant superintendent for human resources.

That was one of the reasons Juby voted against the budget recommendation, while the rest of the board voted for it.

Trustee Mark Grosso, who campaigned last year on a promise to critically question spending while being sure not to let frugality hurt students, said "we're very close to that line."

He has recommended consolidating clerical and administrative positions, doing mandatory reviews of whether positions need to be filled after a retirement, and reducing stipends paid to teachers for activities beyond classroom work.

"If it weren't for harder times, we probably wouldn't be looking at this at all," board President Mary Stith said of eliminating the accelerated/enrichment coordinator post. "These are not easy times. But I also respect the people who have come to us and said, 'Please, please balance our budget.'"

Cuts: Board member says frugality close to hurting students