Dist. 203 does about-face on layoffs

Nearly 300 Naperville Unit District 203 employees, including almost 90 teachers, are receiving layoff notices just a week after Superintendent Mark Mitrovich said there would be no staff cuts.

Mitrovich on Monday said the terms he used in discussing the matter last week may have caused some confusion.

On March 8, the school board approved a new teachers contract that calls for a salary freeze for most teachers in the first year of the three-year pact, followed by increases of 2.84 percent in year two and roughly 3.14 percent in year three. Officials say the contract will help them keep the district's budget balanced for at least five years.

Speaking with reporters after the March 8 meeting, Mitrovich stressed how disruptive losing teachers can be for students and said, "We will not be issuing any nonrenewal notices."

Monday, Mitrovich said he meant the district would not be doing the blanket non-renewals like some districts.

"However, we always have a number of people who will be non-renewed or an attrition factor in the district that is tied to our enrollment or a decision made relative to staff," he said.

The district on Monday released a list of nearly 300 employees who are receiving layoff notices. That number is slightly less than last year.

Nearly 90 are teachers who have been with the district four years or less. Some of them are interns and substitutes. Slightly more than 200 are support staff, including teaching assistants, tutors, lunchroom monitors and nurses.

Nonrenewal notices are a common rite of spring in many school districts. Many if not all on the layoff list are employees who work on a year-to-year basis. Typically, many are rehired in the fall depending on the district's budget and enrollment.

Officials say it's too early to tell how many will be back this time around.