District 204 back in hiring mode

A year after releasing 7 percent of its teaching staff, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 plans to hire as many as 15 additional teachers this upcoming school year.

“This board needs to take great pride, as does our community, in the fact that we made some really difficult decisions last year, which have reaped benefits as we go into the second year,” Superintendent Kathy Birkett said of the district’s austerity plan.

The board also approved Monday the hiring of three administrators, including an assistant superintendent of human resources, assistant superintendent of business and a new principal for Prairie Children Preschool.

The hiring announcements were a stark contrast to last year when union officials packed the District 204 board room and wore black to signify their mourning of the 145 released teachers. While 44 of those teachers were ultimately rehired, the board wrestled with a $21.4 million deficit and implemented an austerity plan that not only required teacher layoffs, but put off building repairs and cut expenses as small as lawn watering and gym towels.

This year, the district’s budget is close to breaking even and shows an $8 million surplus. The surplus largely comes from late state payments that forced the district to operate with a deficit last year. By the end of this month, the district anticipates the state will owe it $13 million. The district expects to use the surplus in part to help cover those overdue payments.

District officials are sorting out which schools will be hiring more teachers. They were able to say that most of the additional teacher hires will take place at the middle and high school levels. As Metea Valley High School is adding 600 students next year, about 16 teachers will be hired to accommodate them. Other hirings will be made to address population shifts within the schools, said Linda Rakestraw, assistant superintendent secondary leadership services. The number of teachers at the elementary level is expected to go down as student numbers have dropped a bit, she said. But no teachers will be laid off as a result because 49 teachers in the district are retiring this year.

The administrative hires include:

Ÿ Karen Sullivan hired as assistant superintendent of human resources starting in July. She comes from Elmhurst Unit District 205, where she served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for two years. Before that, she worked in District 204 for 14 years as a principal and director for student services. Sullivan is replacing Nancy Valenta, who is retiring.

Ÿ Jay Strang will become the new assistant superintendent of business in July 2012, replacing Dave Holm who will retire at that time. Strang is the district’s assistant superintendent for instructional services. He has worked for the district since 1990, when he started as a teacher at Brookdale Elementary School. Strang also has worked as an administrator at three of the district’s middle schools and as director of building operations.

Ÿ Sally Osborn will be principal of Prairie Children Preschool beginning July 1. Osborn comes from the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education where she served as the early childhood program coordinator since 2005. Students feed into the program from several West suburban school districts. Before that, she worked as a school psychologist at the organization for eight years. Osborn is replacing the retiring LuAnn Shields.