Official: Dist. 204 cuts may be 'unprecedented'

Indian Prairie school officials have circled Monday, March 22, on their calendars, but not for a celebratory reason. They have a date with fiscal reality.

By the end of that school day, the district will have notified nontenured teachers who won't be returning next year. And Monday night, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Dave Holm said the cuts could be unprecedented.

"It's fairly common that a percentage of the nontenured faculty are not retained each year, but this will be unlike anything we have ever seen," Holm said. "No one is looking forward to (March 22)."

Later that evening, board members will discuss the administration's plan to reduce next year's spending by another $12 million.

District officials said the state's nearly $14 billion debt is forcing the legislature to reduce payments to individual school districts. Compounding the district's problem is the $7.8 million the state already is months late in paying. That money largely is earmarked for special education and transportation.

Program cuts, larger class sizes, potential building closings and an untold number of other suggestions from the district staff and the community finance committee are likely to be presented to the board March 22.

But after cutting a combined $15.7 million from the 2009 and 2010 budgets, Holm admitted cost-cutting options are becoming fewer and farther between.

"We're turning over every rock we can to bring you the next phase of the austerity plan," Holm said. "But as you can imagine, it's not easy. It's getting more difficult."

Earlier this month, Superintendent Kathryn Birkett said it is very likely that several of its roughly 680 nontenured teachers may be released.

Paying staff salaries for this budget year, however, is about to get a little easier. The state board of education has announced a plan to release a total of $3.5 million to $4 million in federal stimulus money to the district between now and March 19.

"Paying us our general state aid with federal dollars frees up the state to hopefully start paying down that $7.8 million," Holm said. "But ultimately, it just pushes the entire problem into next year. But getting some money is better than getting none, so it's a constant battle."