District 300 board approves spending plan including 104 new employees
This school year, Community Unit District 300 has hired more teachers, social workers, coaches, interventionists and support personnel with new state revenue, officials said.
The school board recently approved a $296 million spending plan for the 2018-19 school year that includes hiring 104 new full-time employees with $6.2 million from the state's new evidence-based funding formula.
New hires were made in areas that have the greatest impact on student learning, said Susan Harkin, chief operating officer of the Algonquin-based district serving more than 21,000 students.
They include 13 special education teachers, 10 special education paraprofessionals, 10 coaches and 8.5 additional social workers. Social workers will float throughout schools working one-on-one with students and families and serving as liaisons between the district and outside agencies.
"In order for us to maintain our current class sizes, we added 8.5 full-time teachers. Overall, we are probably between 22 and 23 students for elementary and K-5," Harkin said.
Officials also will hire 34 full-time substitute teachers for elementary schools - an estimated cost of $1.1 million. Two substitutes will be assigned to each elementary school. When not subbing, those teachers will provide classroom interventions and additional support for students needing extra help, Harkin said.
The budget includes roughly 3 percent in overall salary increases per negotiated agreements, a roughly 5 percent increase in medical insurance costs, and $6 million allocated for capital projects using funding from the Sears economic development agreement and developer impact fees.
Work will involve updating schools built in the 1970s, such as upgrading bathrooms and removing asbestos tiles.
This month, district officials will begin reviewing enrollment, building capacity and usage of schools, which could lead to boundary changes.
"We are probably going to be over capacity at Wright Elementary (in Hampshire) in two or three years," said Harkin adding, enrollment continues to grow on the district's west side.