Lake Zurich District 95 to cut 91 jobs

Lake Zurich Unit District 95 approved the dismissal of 91 staff members including tenured and nontenured teachers, administrators and other employees on Thursday night.

Superintendent Brian Knutson said the district is releasing staff members that the administration cannot guarantee a position for next year; however, some may be asked back when more specific budget information is available, as early as next month.

"We had a number of places that are borderline so we had to take the conservative approach," he said.

Seven separate resolutions regarding the dismissal of employees were passed at the board of education meeting Thursday. The resolution pertaining to tenured teachers was the only one to draw a single vote against it.

"I do not support the elimination of the fourth- and fifth-grade band and orchestra and that was creating the need (to dismiss tenured teachers)" said board member John Kropf, who voted "no."

Some of the dismissals were a result of the severe recommended budget cuts the district is facing. The cuts would affect every school in the district as well as the administration.

The cuts are a result of a projected $4 million shortfall in revenue due to the drop in the Consumer Price Index from 4.1 percent to 0.1 percent. The CPI determines the increase the district can request in the property tax levy.

Teachers, students and parents have been outspoken at meetings in regards to some of the extracurricular activities slated for the chopping block. Some groups are making an effort to raise the money needed to save their programs for next year, and the board has taken action to make donating as easy as possible.

The board and the District 95 Educational Foundation created the Kids Win! Fund to accept donations for specific programs that are set to be cut and general donations that would be distributed among the programs at the board's discretion.

Donations will be accepted only for the extracurricular items on the list of recommended cuts and the fourth- and fifth-grade band and orchestra program. All donations should be made by June 1, so they can be accounted for in next year's budget.

Board President Kathy Brown said there will be a round-table discussion on the budget at the board's April 16 meeting. A tentative budget will be passed in June, and the final budget will follow in September.