Some U-46 schools see culture destroyed by layoffs

Each one of the 53 schools in Elgin Area School District U-46 has its own culture, its own reputation, its own personality.

Take Elgin High - one of the state's oldest high schools, steeped in more than 130 years of tradition.

Bartlett's Nature Ridge Elementary has parents who regularly turn out in force at board meetings, asking district officials to fix overcrowding at the school.

Tefft Middle School in Streamwood has become renowned for its innovative strategies in ramping up test scores - having students chart their own grades and host their own parent-teacher conferences.

Each school is dealing differently with reverberations of massive budget cuts.

Predicting a $44 million deficit next year if state funding is cut, the U-46 school board Monday night approved 1,037 layoffs, 732 of them teachers.

Teaching layoffs were done through what the district calls a targeted reduction in force or RIF - determining how many positions it will need in certain departments, and then cutting by seniority.

That means some schools' departments will be wiped out entirely and replaced next year by a more tenured staff from other campuses.

Streamwood High School Principal Terri Lozier passed out 62 pink slips Tuesday morning. On top of that, another 37 teachers may be reassigned to other buildings, she said.

"You're trying to build programs and we're working very hard at trying to change our instructional practices," Lozier said. "When you have this many teachers without a job or being RIFed, it makes you feel like your work has been in vain. Even for the remaining staff it's hard."

Elgin High School will lose 53 staff members next year, Principal Dave Smiley confirmed.

"We've brought a lot of people in," Smiley said of his nine years at the school. "You build a culture."

The high school will lose roughly 20 coaches. The bilingual program, only in its second year at the school, will see a majority of its faculty leave. The band, which has doubled its participation over the past three years, will take a "huge hit" with the loss of director Jonathan Bogue, Smiley said.

"All of us have had a chance to have teachers that have inspired them to be so much better, do so much more," Elgin High junior Kathy McCain told the school board Monday. "A lot of that will be gone next year."

Of the district's 40 elementary schools, Nature Ridge had one of the highest numbers of employees pink-slipped. The school will lose 18 teachers, along with several secretaries and support staff members. Principal's secretary Linda Binder, among those let go, said employees are just shellshocked.

"It's like, 'Did this really just happen?'" she said. "It hasn't quite hit parents yet."

Kenyon Woods Middle School in South Elgin is set to lose 17 teachers, among them five science teachers, three gym teachers, a middle school counselor and two English teachers.

Principal Kevin Skinkis termed Bartlett High School "ground zero."

He'll lose 51 employees - including 22 coaches, six gym and drivers' education teachers, and seven members of his English department.

"I didn't think that they would go that deep. It has left a big void," school nurse Cindy Maloney said. "I'm upset. I love my job. I'm afraid of what may happen in the future for the kids."

The district is laying off more people than necessary to pad itself against state cuts. If funding improves, the district plans to bring back some of the laid-off staff.

Next year, art, music and gym will be limited to 30-minute classes for elementary school students, and eliminated entirely for half-day kindergartners. At the eight middle schools, guidance counselors will be eliminated, and the number of library hours will be cut, along with the football program.

The cuts will result in significant increases in schools' teacher-to-student ratios. Classes are currently staffed at 28:1 for kindergarten through third grades, 33:1 for fourth through sixth grades, and 30:1 at the high schools.

"Every one of the teachers we've (cut) are people I've hired," said Skinkis, in his third year at Bartlett High. "These are people that started this journey with me. And invested time and efforts. I've made it a point that I'm going to rebuild this place. But it hurts. ... I'd be lying to you if I'd say I'm going to be sleeping well."

• Daily Herald staff photographer Brian Hill contributed to this report.

The teachersEditor's note: We chose to run the list of hundreds teachers laid off this week by Elgin Area School District U-46, not to embarrass anyone but to let parents and students know which of their favorite teachers may not be back next year.Here is an unofficial list of 727 of the 732 names, provided by the district:Abdic, Mersiha Abenia, Maria Abney, Jaimie LAburto, Martin E.Adams, Julia Adkins, Kimberly MAinsworth, Sara JaneAlbavera, Graciela Alimi, John NAllaway, Julie AnneAllen, Christine JAlonzo, Jose Alonzo, Osbaldo Alvarado, Elspeth JAmato, Polixeni Amelio, Bridget AAnderson, Jennie LynnAndino-Lebron, Maribel Andoni, Mary Andrade, Alicia HAntoshin, Mikhail Arndt, Kelly CArnett, Victoria JAronica, Laure AArreguin, Mayte ImeldaArreola, Rodolfo Arroyo Reyes, Sundra AixaAtwell, Stephanie KAugust, Amy Badman, Kelly ABaer, James SBailey, Katie AnnBaillie, Kathryn EvelynBaird, Nicholas Balcer, Rachel MBallantyne, Colleen Balzer, Meagen MaureenBanaszak, Charron Bannister, Jacqueline Barnett, Kelly ABarrio, Gerardo FBarsotti, Daniel ABartlett, Kathleen MBartolo, Mario G.Bartz, Russell Basak, Jinene VBauer, Brittney ABayer, Kristin ABecker, Jaime MichelleBennett, Tammy LBerrio, Carmen Berry, Kimberly Bertram, Holly ABetancourt, Juan CarlosBhatia, Parul Bialas, Stephanie Bieschke, Thomas ABiesterfeld, Dana Bird, Sarah J.Black, Abby MBlaho, Rebecca ABobby, Jaime SBoden, Christopher MBogue, Jonathan TBoland, Jeanette MBolton, Gerald Borchardt, Eric JBorden, Sarah MBorrero Franky, Maria AlejandraBoston, Jean E. Bourgoin, Denise IBragg, Sheryl Braico, Heather MBrannon, Carrie LBrechtel, Eric S.Bremer, Thomas Bristow, Sarah JaneBrojek, Katherine A.Brooke, Andrea Brown, Judith AnneBrown, Ericka EBruhn, Adam Buchs, Maria de Lourdes P.Bugner, Pamela KumorBullion, RoyBumbles, Nicholas Burkard, Helen Burke, Susan M. Burnell, Lisa A.Bush, Markisha BCapuani, Annette Carbonado, Ryan AC#225;rdenas, Juana MC#225;rdenas, Lisa ECardona, Lirio Cartwright, RyanCasey, Tanya MCedeno, Alfred LCella, Heather Cerami, Lisa NicoleCernuda, Leandro Cesaroni, Phillip AChavez, Oscar MChavez, Tycora Mishon JoyChinn, B. Rene Chest, PatrickChrisoms, Amanda Cieslak, Nicole Citron, Sandra JClaassen, Brionne LClausen, Eric JClaypool, Joan MCoeto Romo, Regina DCoffey, Tiffany TCollazo, Stella M.Colley, Julie AnnCollier, Marilyn DCollingbourne, Lacey LCompeer, Audrey M.Consiglio, Giuseppina Conway, Katherine JCook, Nicole MarieCook, Richard FCorapi, Jillian LeighCortina, Timothy DCordova-Rajoo, Angelica VirginiaCorrea, Ana MariaCortes, Betsie Cossiboon, Sarah MCosta-Garcia, Elena Cots, Ana MariaCoughlin, William P.Covarrubias, Dustin BCreed, Bryan AndrewCress, Sarah NCrittenden, Kelli MCruz, Laura MCummins, Calvin KCummins, Thomas J.D'Alessandro, Cindy Dahlman, Chad Daniel, Timothy SDavis, Karen Davis, Matthew L.De Leon Ovalle, Luis FernandoDean, Katie BDeLand, Stephanie A.DelFava, Amanda Delk, Lorilyn PDellis, Jennifer KDeRicco, Mary EllenDerybowski, Victoria Di Fatta, Jennifer M.Diaz Jr., Javier WDiaz-Blanco, Paula Dicker, Kendra MDiedrick, Gretchen Dietiker, Kristin MDirienzo, Lisa M.Djurcic, Rocio Doherty, Patricia Dollahan, Mariana GracielaDominguez, Ofelia Doroba, Katie L.Doyle, Cassie Doyle, Catherine CDubbert, Rebecca Duncan, Keith Eadler, Justin Edwards, Kim Ehrlich, Michelle Eklund, Matthew REl Helo, Melissa S.Elizalde, Nelly FEllingsen, Christopher Elliott, David CEmbury, Kristin AEngel, Lisa REnison, Daryll LEpstein, Emily Erbach, Matthew JErickson, Ben Erickson, Mary BethEscudero, IrisEsdorn, Mary Esterino, Matthew G.Fabris, Jennifer Fantauzzi, Michelle NicoleFactor Daly, Lilly Rose Felicetti, Rebecca C.Ferrera-Rojano, Irene Figueroa, Evelyn Figueroa, Juan AFischer, Laura KFisher, Jason Fishkin, Olga BorisovnaFlores, Ruben Foote, Kimberly DFord, Jennifer SFormanek, Colleen EFortmann, Susan K.Fortney, Jill CajunFortune, Angela Foster, Keith MichaelFrandsen, Sara L.Frasch, Rachel Freely, StephanieGach, SarahGacia, Katarzyna DianaGaitan Bustos, Andrea Gambill, Ashley EGarcia, Maria del PilarGarcia, Tosha SGarden, Melissa ErinGeanconteri, Aliza DGehrig, Matthew Gentleman, Kelly KGiczkowski, Marilena Gilbert, Carolyn Gilchrist, Alison RGleason, Rachelle DGlenn, Dawn JGodke, Catherine MGoebel, Justin G.Gohl, Marjorie J.Gomez, Karem Gonzales, Kristine DGonzalez, Liliana T.Gonzalez, Artemisa Gonzalez, Elliot Gorgeous, Erin MGorman, Erin MGorski, Alicia CGraff, Audrey JGrashorn, Ellen Griffith, Catherine Groholski, Thomas JGuerino, Gregory MichaelGuerrero, Mayrena C.Guilbeau, Sara E. Haas, Kimberly A.Haeger, Jennifer L.Hagood Cook, Joanna RHain, David Haley, Jennifer Lynn Halpin, Marie Hammer, Danielle M.Hammer, Randall W.Handley, Jeffrey JHannick, Ann Harris, Melissa Hartley, Melissa S.Harty, Diane PHatch, Meredith AnnHawkins, James Hawley, Beth LHawley, Jesse MHayward, Jennifer Heatley, Heather THeider, KellyHeider, TamaraHeilbronner, David RossHeimberg, Lindsey MHeinrich, Kristi Heintz, Jillian Helmigk, Kristin MHem, Alissa RHenderson, Shannon KHennessey, Brittany KHenry, Tess EHenry, Timothy Herceg, Margaret AHernandez-Rico, Raul Hernandez-Torres, Jenniffer MarieHernandez, Carmen YHernandez, Hector JulianHerrera Graf, Mercedes Hester, Alisia Higby, Tanya Hilbert, Cheryl ZHopkinson, JamieHolden, Erin K.Holmes, Andrew Holtorf, Michelle RHolysz, Allison Holzer, Katharine A.Holzwarth, Jason Hopkins, Teresa AHowat, Kristin RHowe, MatthewHsu, Sidney Yu-HsingHuber, Donald J.Huber, Julie A.Huichapa, Gladis Humanski, Antoinette Hummel, David Hummel, Nicole K.Hunter, Cary A. 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Lora Norton, Barbara ANorwood, Mary CatherineNoyola, Margarita Nunez, Juana RosaNystedt, Elizabeth CO'Brien, John O'Donnel, ShawnO'Mara, Joan Oates, Angelina MOcampo, Laura WOrtiz Ortiz, Aurer FOssman, Danielle MOstrowski, Melinda JPage, Emma Palewski, David W.Palmer, Sara Pansino, Gina MPark, Katie YParratore, Stacy APater, David JamesPatterson, Rachael EmilyPeacock, Dan MPecaro, Dawn MPekar, Melissa BPeak, Valerie Peldonia, Jamie MariePelletiere, Gina Peltz, Alison MPena-Pettey, Lori AnnPerdomo de Jimenez, Josbeth DPerez-Llorente, Pedro Perez, Diana LPerez, Lisa B.Perez, Luis Perez, Victoria ElizabethPerrone, Wendy JoPerch, Rebecca NPestana, Mario Peterson, Andrea LynnPeterson, Diane M.Petrovich, Ashley DawnPettenuzzo, Jillian LPfaff, Robert GPfeifer, Cathleen Pfeifer, Sarah Pitstick, Justine MariePlach, Adam JPombo, Maria Pomilia, Samantha LPorto, Jennifer TPost, Andrea Prado, Angelica Prado, Jaime Preble, Kurt A.Price, Kevin Proberts, Tamara APusavc, Brittany KRadcliffe, Rachel 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Sylvester, Stephanie M.Szpejnowski, Steven Szwaja, Laura ETaylor, Kari HThakkar, Aekta YThornton, Melissa JTiberi, James Tinning, Patrick JTomasik, Tracy N.Tornero, Kathryn Torres, Rolando O.Torres, Armando Torres, Bertha Torres, Nancy ETorres, Rocio Trinidad, Samantha KateTsupruk, Irina Tucker, Nicole Tuftedal, Melissa STummillo, Gia Upton-Dunmore, Alison LVacco, Michelle JValdes, Michelle LVale-Acevedo, Lissette Valentino, Ruth EVallejo, Cesar S. Van Antwerp, Heather MarieVanBooven, Thomas WilliamVance, Erin FVande Moortel, Jacob JVandermolen, RobertVanderwall, Christopher D.Varney, Jennifer LVarrassi, Deena MVasquez, Adrienne AnnVasquez, Anna Vazzana, Lisa MarieVeaz-Morales, Maria IVeldt, Kelly KVerastegui, Irma MVictorsen, Kara E.Vidal DeAnta, Aldo MiguelVierneisel, Jennifer AnneVillanueva, Jovita Vincent, Sally BVolkman, Nicole RVerderer, Theresa LWalkosz, Tiffany NoelleWatrous, Jennifer MWeathers, Sheila KayWebb, Richard Weincek, Ginger Weisensee, GloriaWhence, Eva AWestcott, Rebecca AWetzel, Christine EWhitenack, Erica LynnWhither, Charles Wilkinson, Anne MWilson, Amy DWindland, Matthew D.Windt, Jenna Winters, Heather MWinters, Jonathan DavidWitt, KarenWitt, Tiffany MWright, Isabelle KYaghmour, Mona TYeboah, Mary HannahYear, Leticia Young, Barbara AZaldivar-Pitarch, AnaZampa, Mary JoZeh, Jessica ErinZewde, Dominique FekadeZiebell, Tobey LynnZitnik, Scott EZombori, Angela Zoubek, Anthony DTrue20001333"I don't know how much support it is," says Patti O'Connell-Puklin about the sweater she was wearing to show support to her friends. "I certainly wish that it was not happening." O'Connell-Puklin is a 16 -year teacher in the district.Brian Hill | Staff PhotographerTrue <div class="infoBox"><h1>More Coverage</h1><div class="infoBoxContent"><div class="infoArea"><h2>Related documents</h2><ul class="morePdf"><li><a href="/pdf/u46teachercuts/nontenuredteachers.pdf">Non-tenured teachers honorably dismissed </a></li><li><a href="/pdf/u46teachercuts/tenuredteachers.pdf">Tenured teachers honorably dismissed </a></li><li><a href="/pdf/u46teachercuts/first.second.third.nontenuredteachers.pdf">First, second and third year non-tenured teachers </a></li></ul></div></div></div>