Cut band or increase class size in Mount Prospect? You pick

Increase class size or cut programs? Before making any decisions on those and other pressing issues, a Mount Prospect school board is going to see what residents think first.

Mount Prospect Elementary School District 57 mailed a survey to 9,000 residents this month asking whether they would accept class sizes larger than 21 to 25 students and if the district should eliminate programs like art and music to save money.

The survey also seeks input on whether fees for textbooks, sports and extracurricular activities should be raised.

And it’s not only fees District 57 may increase. The survey asks residents to weigh in on a 32-cent tax rate hike which would have the owner of a $300,000 home paying an additional $305 per year in school taxes.

“We’re going to have to look at everything next year,” said District 57 Superintendent Elaine Aumiller. “However, I will try my absolute hardest not to increase class size. That’s at the bottom of my list. We have some pretty large elementary classes already.”

Aumiller is most worried about Fairview Elementary School, which has some classes of 26 students, she said.

District 57 dipped into its reserve account to cover a $1.5 million deficit this school year. Next year’s financial projects look even worse, Aumiller said.

“Our goal is always to have a balanced budget, but to get to a balanced budget by next year is huge undertaking,” she said. “I’m not sure it’s possible.”

Layoffs are also something that might have to be looked at, said Board President Joe Leane.

“We look at staffing levels every year, and we can’t honestly look at cutting cots without looking at staffing,” Leane said. “It’s roughly 80 percent of our budget.” The survey went out Jan. 6. Residents have until Jan. 24 to fill it out. The results will be discussed at a school board meeting in March.