Talks couldn't save jobs in DuPage Dist. 88

The teachers union in DuPage High School District 88 has rejected requests for contract concessions that could have saved up to 16 teaching positions, officials said.

The union agreed last month to reopen contract talks for an agreement that isn't scheduled to expire until summer 2011 for teachers at Addison Trail and Willowbrook high schools. The aim was to save 12 to 16 of the 32 full-time positions being eliminated at the end of this school year as a result of the district's $5.9 million budget deficit.

But after about five meetings, the two parties could not agree on base salary freezes, raise reductions, additional sick time, or the length of the proposed concessions, Superintendent Steve Humphrey said.

School officials said the union voted on the proposal this month and resoundingly rejected any changes. Patty Vendegna, president of the District 88 teachers council, did not return calls or e-mails Wednesday.

Humphrey said the talks remained professional but the parties simply couldn't find enough common ground before the voting deadline.

"When you open a contract and try to adjust salaries, it's a pretty difficult assignment," he said. "We do have some fund balances left and I'm sure some staff think we should spend those dollars regardless of the deficit. But we need to make some reductions because we thought getting part of the deficit removed was important. We need to make those reserves and fund balances last as long as possible."

The district announced in January that falling property tax revenues and reductions in state funding will require roughly $5.9 million in budget cuts for the 2010-11 school year.

In addition to the 32 teachers, guidance counselors, certified support staff and a school psychologist who will be dismissed in spring, the district also is releasing all part-time employees. That's a standard move every spring, said Humphrey, and the district traditionally rehires part-time staff as needed. The same will happen next fall.

"We went across the board and reduced staff in academic areas with lowest enrollment," Humphrey said, citing examples such as advanced courses with few students.

The results of the staff reductions will include larger class sizes. Currently the largest classes contain 30 students and the smallest 18. But Humphrey said that bottom number will rise to 22 except for courses such as special education, where state law dictates limits.

"We anticipate scheduling issues," Humphrey said. "As a result of reductions there are a lot of kids to move around and our flexibility will be greatly diminished and some classes will be overloaded."