Kaneland school district says job cuts are necessary

The Kaneland District 302 school board is expected to decide which positions to cut for a reduction in force at its March 9 meeting.

Due to a projected decrease in revenue from the state and a decrease in property tax revenue, the district is discussing cutting $1.5 million from the budget for the 2009/10 school year.

"We have not specified exactly what we will do," said Jeff Schuler, assistant superintendent for human resources. "We do know that we'll need to cut $1.3 million from the 2010-11 school year, also."

Schuler said that the district will eliminate $300,000 in certified personnel positions, or about 6.5 full-time teaching positions, for next school year. It will also cut about $290,000 in noncertified positions, equivalent to 14.5 full-time positions, such as paraprofessionals and secretaries. The board will make a decision on noncertified positions at the April 13 meeting.

About $810,000 will be cut in building supplies, which includes not making purchases for new materials or technology that was allocated for in the 2009-10 budget.

Schuler said cuts in teaching positions will be based on need.

"We will use all the opportunities we have to cut discretionary positions, those not tied to the core curriculum," Schuler said.

Schuler said the district will consider restructuring programs regarding the elimination of noncertified (or nonteaching) positions. He used the delivery of services to special education students as an example.

"We'll see if we can do it with fewer staff," he said. "It wouldn't be a philosophical shift.

"A reduction in force is not something we take lightly," Schuler said. "We have to be diligent in balancing the budget, but we want it to have the least impact on our students, staff and programs."

Kaneland Education Association President Linda Zulkowski said the union is monitoring the situation closely.

"The district has been good about communicating and providing us with the latest information," Zulkowski said. "Right now, it's a waiting game until we get direction from the board. It's 6.5 positions but over 50 percent of the teachers are nontenured. People are very nervous.

"It's a sad state of the economy," she said.