Post by gatordog on Jan 27, 2010 13:51:52 GMT -5
frpm the sun
Plainfield schools may cut 200 jobs
January 27, 2010
By MIKE LOOMIS For Sun-Times Media
PLAINFIELD — Plainfield schools need to cut more than 200 jobs under a plan unveiled Monday by Superintendent John Harper.
Harper proposed the cuts as part of a deficit reduction plan to eliminate the district's $16 million deficit. The district is required by the state to balance its budget by 2012.
To make that deadline, 222 teaching, administrative and support staff positions will have to go, Harper told the school board.
Since 80 percent of the district's cost goes to paying its staff, "it's inescapable to reduce a deficit this large without impacting people," Harper said.
He said the job cuts would save about $10 million, with another $11 million in savings coming from operational cost cuts. The proposal aims to save $21 million — $6 million beyond the current deficit — because the district must anticipate more losses in state aid in coming years.
"The problem is way beyond our control," board President Rod Westfall said of the economic factors that impact schools. "This affects all of us very deeply."
The meeting drew about 250 people.
Parents, like Heather Drake, who has two kids in district schools, told the board to keep looking for other areas to save money before doing away with teaching jobs in the fine arts or those that provide gifted students with extra instruction in reading.
Others had concerns about class size.
The board will vote on the deficit reduction plan at a special meeting set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Plainfield Central High School.
List of proposed cuts
Proposed cuts and measures that would start July 1:
• Eliminate the fifth-grade band program. This year, 927 students play.
• Restructure the middle school Encore program, eliminating 20.5 positions. There is no plan to eliminate any of the classes.
• End the full-release mentor program. Three mentors are mentoring about 100 first- and second-year teachers.
• Eliminate summer school for students in K-8, cutting $221,921.
• Cut departmental and building budgets by 20 percent.
• Increase high school summer school fees by 20 percent, adding $43,384. Current fees are $180 for district students and $280 for out-of-district students.
• Increase extracurricular/athletic fees from $39 per middle school student to $50 and $61 per high school student to $120, bringing in $249,683.
• Reduce coaches and stipends for extracurriculars and athletics, cutting $652,726.
• Eliminate P.E. classes for kindergartners.
• End Reading Recovery program that serves about 440 first-graders, affecting 29 teachers.
• Create own therapeutic program at Plainfield Academy for about 16 students who are sent to other private programs, at a savings of $1 million.
Plainfield schools may cut 200 jobs
January 27, 2010
By MIKE LOOMIS For Sun-Times Media
PLAINFIELD — Plainfield schools need to cut more than 200 jobs under a plan unveiled Monday by Superintendent John Harper.
Harper proposed the cuts as part of a deficit reduction plan to eliminate the district's $16 million deficit. The district is required by the state to balance its budget by 2012.
To make that deadline, 222 teaching, administrative and support staff positions will have to go, Harper told the school board.
Since 80 percent of the district's cost goes to paying its staff, "it's inescapable to reduce a deficit this large without impacting people," Harper said.
He said the job cuts would save about $10 million, with another $11 million in savings coming from operational cost cuts. The proposal aims to save $21 million — $6 million beyond the current deficit — because the district must anticipate more losses in state aid in coming years.
"The problem is way beyond our control," board President Rod Westfall said of the economic factors that impact schools. "This affects all of us very deeply."
The meeting drew about 250 people.
Parents, like Heather Drake, who has two kids in district schools, told the board to keep looking for other areas to save money before doing away with teaching jobs in the fine arts or those that provide gifted students with extra instruction in reading.
Others had concerns about class size.
The board will vote on the deficit reduction plan at a special meeting set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Plainfield Central High School.
List of proposed cuts
Proposed cuts and measures that would start July 1:
• Eliminate the fifth-grade band program. This year, 927 students play.
• Restructure the middle school Encore program, eliminating 20.5 positions. There is no plan to eliminate any of the classes.
• End the full-release mentor program. Three mentors are mentoring about 100 first- and second-year teachers.
• Eliminate summer school for students in K-8, cutting $221,921.
• Cut departmental and building budgets by 20 percent.
• Increase high school summer school fees by 20 percent, adding $43,384. Current fees are $180 for district students and $280 for out-of-district students.
• Increase extracurricular/athletic fees from $39 per middle school student to $50 and $61 per high school student to $120, bringing in $249,683.
• Reduce coaches and stipends for extracurriculars and athletics, cutting $652,726.
• Eliminate P.E. classes for kindergartners.
• End Reading Recovery program that serves about 440 first-graders, affecting 29 teachers.
• Create own therapeutic program at Plainfield Academy for about 16 students who are sent to other private programs, at a savings of $1 million.