District 220 steeling for next round of budget cuts

Barrington Unit District 220 is about to start its fourth annual process of identifying often painful budget cuts to counter uncertainties in economic growth and state aid.

The work is becoming more difficult — rather than more routine — with each passing year, school board President Brian Battle said, and this year could be the most difficult yet.

If the first year after the economic downturn allowed district officials to identify and trim some fat from their budget, each year since has dug deeper into muscle and bone, Battle believes.

Part of this is a result of the district’s desire to maintain a broad and diverse curriculum, while also meeting the high expectations of the community, Battle said.

“Clearly there is a link between our (high) property values and the strength of our school district,” he added.

The board has tried to exercise caution and conservatism to adjust for the uncertain level and timing of state aid. The uncertainty is probably stronger than ever this time, Battle said.

Added to that is the uncertainty over what will come out of negotiations for a new teachers’ contract to succeed the one expiring this summer.

The district cut $665,700 in staff positions and $745,000 in other services like utilities in 2009. Cuts totaled $2.4 million in 2010 and another $2 million was eliminated last year.

The amount of cuts for this year is still undecided, but in November board members asked administrators to prepare a list of up to $3 million in potential cuts from which the board will pick and choose next month.

At the time the list was commissioned, board member Tim Hull suggested dipping slightly into the district’s reserves rather making such deep cuts an annual tradition.

The process actually begins with a committee-of-the-whole meeting Jan. 24 — before the list is finalized — so board members can discuss their philosophies and priorities before even seeing the list, Battle said.

Last year, the board felt particular pressure from such groups as theater students, gifted program participants and hockey players who were facing cuts. While those groups escaped largely unscathed last time, Battle said each year is forcing decisions that might have seemed unthinkable a year or two earlier.

Board member Joseph Ruffolo has asked administrators to help avoid a similar panic this year by not making the list of potential cuts unnecessarily long just for the convenience of board members.

Addressing the concerns of struggling taxpayers is as much a consideration to the board as maintaining the district’s academic quality, Battle added.

One recent cost-saving measure was the pre-purchase of the district’s electricity for the next 18 months — which cut that budget by 29 percent, or $407,000.

The school board will approve its annual budget in the early autumn, by which time more financial information is often known. But state law forces most major decisions to be made during the winter as teachers must be informed of potential layoffs a number of months before the school year ends.