Supporters make dramatic plea against D220 theater cuts

A crowd of students, teachers and parents Tuesday pleaded to Barrington Unit District 220 officials that $2 million of potential budget cuts, even if drastic, should not be literally dramatic ones.

Fueled by rumors of significant cuts to Barrington High School's theater department, the advocates came to share their views of why such programs are so important to the school's community of drama students.

The theater supporters dominated the first night of what is expected to be a two-month process to identify budget cuts the district must make because of the continuing state of the economy and persisting uncertainties over the level and timing of state funding.

Theater teacher Jon Lynn said he understood that all departments were facing the threat of cuts but that his group of supporters wanted to be a “squeaky wheel” and provide a collective face of the drama department to the board of education.

“I have a really remarkable group of veteran theater kids this year, and the best group of freshmen I've ever had,” Lynn said.

The board was anything but implacable to the pleas of students and parents, with President Brian Battle expressing how impressed he was by the well-articulated arguments.

He assured Lynn that the value of the theater department would not be overlooked in the budgeting process.

“Trust me — impact made. Message heard,” Battle said.

Superintendent Tom Leonard said details on potential cuts to the drama department — and many other areas of the district — were part of a 27-page document that would be released on the district's website late Tuesday night.

The document contains approximately 200 potential budget cuts for the board to consider mixing and matching to add up to about $2 million. They include everything from staffing levels to materials purchases to contracted operational services.

The rumors the theater department heard sprang from two items on the list — the potential eliminations of a theater club and a paid position to supervise plays and concerts at the high school.

Just because the drama department was the first to hear rumors of the potential cuts doesn't mean other members of the district won't want to weigh in during the two-month discussion, Leonard said.

Though the board formally approves its budget in September, it actually has to know the basics by late March to give adequate notice to staffers who may be laid off in June.