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Rock Island-Milan schools brace for millions in budget cuts

Rock Island-Milan schools face possible increased class sizes and cuts to staff and athletics to overcome an expected multi-million-dollar deficit.
Rock Island Schools logo from district website

Rock Island-Milan schools face possible increased class sizes and cuts to staff and athletics to overcome an expected multi-million-dollar deficit.

Rock Island County voters have twice voted down a one-cent sales tax that would have funded local schools.  State funding allocations are similar for all students in Illinois, at just over $7,000 per student.  Districts with lower property values rely more on state aid because they collect less in property taxes.

The Illinois State Board of Education told district officials in January 2015 that they could expect between 75% and 89% pro-rated level of funding from the state for the 2015-2016 school year, according to a statement from the district.  That translates to a deficit between $1.9 and $5 million according to the district’s Chief Financial Officer, Bob Beckwith.   So, Beckwith presented a list of reductions at the school board’s meeting February 10, 2015, to possibly offset up to $5 million in reduced funding.

Beckwith’s list included some savings as retirees are replaced with lower-paid staff, as well as postponing some construction projects, building supplies expenses and technology upgrades.  The district could also consider increasing the size of each classroom by one student to eliminate nine full-time teaching positions, and the list includes reducing the number of secretaries at the central office and at the high school, eliminating some counselor and administrator positions; eliminating several custodian positions, SRO/police liaison positions and other liaison and supervisory jobs throughout the district.

Programs that could be eliminated included 6th grade orchestra and band, Plato, the annual Medal of Honor banquet    Elementary gifted program staff would be reduced, after-school co-curricular (clubs) activities would be eliminated and athletic programs would be reduced by 10%.  The athletic programs reduction would happen by eliminating programs with the fewest participants such as tennis, golf, cross-country and cheerleading.

Get the full list of proposed cuts – click here.

The board asked Beckwith to prioritize items on his list, and to base it on a more optimistic state funding level to compensate for a $1.9-million deficit instead of a $5-million reduction.  The board expected to see the revised recommendations at its February 24 meeting, and would vote then to have administrators build the budget for the 2015-2016 school year based on the revised list.

Related:  Funding frustration: Why some Illinois schools have money, and some don’t

 

 

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