Woodland district task force presents ideas to fix deficit

Details about suggested ways to fill a projected $3.5 million budget deficit were provided to about 100 employees, parents and others at a Woodland Elementary District 50 forum Tuesday night.

Gurnee-based Woodland assembled a 62-member volunteer financial community task force that has made recommendations on a combination of budget cuts and revenue enhancements totaling about $4 million - above the $3.5 million target for the 2010-11 academic year.

District 50 employees, parents, community members and local high school students began work on the budget deficit in September and issued the suggestions in December. Elected Woodland board members are to take final action Feb. 25.

"It's called living within your means," District 50 board President Lawrence Gregorash told the crowd at Woodland Intermediate School. "That's our motivation. That's how we got here."

Following are some of the ways suggested by the advisory group to fill the tentative $3.5 million budget gap for the 2010-11 school year:

• Eliminating six paraprofessionals to save $384,795 annually.

• Increasing per-meal prices for students from $2 to $2.40, generating an extra $174,536 each year.

• Eliminating the positions of behavior intervention specialist, technology network administrator and operations and facility assistant in the 2010-11 school year, followed by not replacing the assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and accountability position after the 2011-12 year. Total savings are expected to be $377,238 annually.

• Trimming five "exploratory" teaching positions to pocket $224,953 annually.

Similar to other school systems', Woodland's income isn't expected to keep pace with expenses because of a relatively flat consumer price index, or inflation rate. Since 1991, Illinois law has limited many taxing bodies to levy an increase at the rate or inflation or 5 percent, whichever is lower.

When the possibility of furlough days or salary cuts to preserve as many teaching positions as possible was raised at Tuesday's forum, Woodland board member Bruce Bohren responded that administration and middle management staff salaries were frozen for the current academic year, saving $194,600.

Deficit: Eliminating jobs among ideas suggested