More detail on new cuts proposed in District 300

It should come as no surprise that Community Unit District 300 is considering reducing its transportation costs to balance next year's budget.

District officials have said for months that transportation may have to suffer if the state continues to delay payments to schools.

Budgeted at a bit more than $15.6 million this year, transportation is only about 6 percent of District 300's planned expenditures this year.

But transportation's share of the budget increases when you subtract debt service (paid for by a separate revenue stream) and capital spending (there's little new construction on the horizon).

And as district officials pointed out this week, the district buses students in many cases where the law does not require transportation.

Consideration of the newest proposals, presented to the school board this week, was prompted by the district's latest worst-case scenario, which projects the state will fail to pay an additional $18 million it owes the district next year.

That's on top of $6 million in delayed payments this year, officials say.

I touched on the proposed reductions in transportation costs in my recap of this week's board meeting. Here are some additional details on what the administration is proposing, according to public documents and Monday's meeting:

• The preschool program: The district estimates it can save more than $711,000 on transportation from adjusting bell times, phasing out the Preschool for All program at two schools and eliminating some routes.

• Bus supervision: The district would save an estimated $230,000 by having aides supervise bus pickup and drop-off at a cost of about $9/hour, compared to the current practice of using teachers at a rate of $32/hour.

• The dual language program: The district could save about $157,000 if it stopped busing 74 students to three schools for the program, which provides instruction in English and Spanish.

• Elgin Community College program: Stopping transportation for high school students who take classes at ECC could save more than $117,000.

• Parochial schools: Reducing routes for an estimated 150 students who attend religious schools (the district is required by law to provide transportation to these students) would save an estimated $33,830.

Superintendent Ken Arndt said the board will not vote on the transportation cuts on Feb. 22, when it is set to weigh in on $6.4 million in budget reductions, because board members and the public have not have enough time to dissect the proposals.

Officials acknowledged the transportation cuts could discourage participation in the affected programs, but at least one board member, Secretary Anne Miller, expressed interest in finding cheaper alternatives.