Dist. 158 meeting explores staffing scenarios, costs

If staffing sizes in Huntley Unit District 158 remain flat, what will class sizes look like? What if the district trimmed $1 million from the fiscal year 2012 budget? How will adding teachers to the district affect class sizes?

Those were the questions district administrators attempted to answer Thursday.

Administrators presented three staffing scenarios and the impact each option would have on class sizes throughout the district. The agenda item was for discussion purposes and the board did not make decisions on staffing levels.

Jessica Lombard, the district's chief human resources officer, said full-time teachers of core classes were used to review the impact on class size. As the district moves forward on making final staffing decisions, Lombard said other staff categories would be considered.

Under the first scenario, salaries were kept flat at the fiscal year 2011 levels. Due to growth at the high school level, school leaders said teachers could be added at the high school level, while others could be eliminated at the elementary schools. Such staffing changes would cause slightly larger class sizes across the board with core classes at the high school level ranging from 25 to 30 students, while kindergarten classes would go from an average of 21.8 students to 23.2 students.

In some cases, teachers could be reassigned, but District 158 Superintendent John Burkey said the district faces challenges with matching qualifications with positions.

“The problem we face is that jobs might not necessarily be in the right place,” Burkey said. “We need to fill positions at the high school level, but we run into certification issues. Where there are positions that need to be filled, we might not have people who are certified.”

Lombard said growth will continue at the middle and high school levels.

“There are more students coming into high school than going out,” Lombard said.

Should the district add $659,000 in teacher salaries to the budget, data from administrators showed class sizes would maintain the current levels.

But Burkey reminded the board that although the board would like to keep class sizes where they are, the district faces an estimated $6.4 million deficit in the fiscal year that will begin July 1, 2012.

Under the final scenario, the district would trim $1 million from salaries, potentially eliminating 21 positions including 15 from the elementary school level. That would add up to three students per class in the fifth grade, while high school classes could reach 35 students, though numbers would fluctuate depending on the course.

Burkey said some positions could be spared due to teachers leaving or retiring.

“We will not need to let all the teachers go because we will have attrition,” Burkey said. “If we have to cut 10 positions, it doesn't mean we will have to let 10 go or any go.”

Board member Donald Drzal said the outlines gave board members a good starting point as they consider the upcoming budget.

“The scenarios presented are very good and represent three different trains of thought from class sizes based on budgetary cost containment while the others look at what we need to do to keep things the same.”