Grayslake District 46 nearing deadline to adopt budget for 2012-13

With the clock ticking toward a state-mandated deadline, Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members are expected to try again Thursday to approve a proposed $49.1 million budget for the 2012-13 school year.

School districts are required to adopt new budgets by Sept. 30, a deadline set by the Illinois State Board of Education. Last week, the District 46 board voted 3-3, with one member absent, on the budget that had been presented to them at a meeting by Chief School Business Official Anna Kasprzyk.

District 46 board members are scheduled to review and vote on the 2012-13 budget during a special meeting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Avon Center School, 1617 N. Route 83 in Round Lake Beach.

Kasprzyk said the tentative budget would set aside $41.1 million and projects an overall $1.2 million deficit. She said the budget forecasts a $1 million reduction in general state aid on the revenue side.

Superintendent Ellen Correll outlined a variety of possible cost-saving measures on the table to help close the budget gap.

Correll said closing a school, year-round classes, boosting registration fees, eliminating textbooks and slicing substitute teacher pay are among the money-saving ideas. Others include reducing wireless telephone expenses, not paying for dinners at conferences requiring travel and trimming mileage reimbursements for employees.

Board member Shannon Smigielski questioned why officials would consider reducing the rates paid to substitute teachers. board member Keith Surroz said all facets of the district must be considered for budget cuts.

“I think when we are $1.2 million in the hole, I think we should be doing everything we can this year to alleviate that,” Surroz said.

Surroz, Smigielski and Kip Evans were the board members who rejected the budget last week, while Michael Carbone was absent. Board President Ray Millington and members Susan Facklam and Karen Weinert were in favor.