 The Illinois State Board of Education this week released its annual
report of school districts statewide, showing public schools in 2010
laid off a total of 2,102 tenured and non-tenured teachers. That was
664 more layoffs than in 2009.
However, 42 other school districts did not submit data last year,
including the Chicago School District, meaning the number of teacher
layoffs is likely higher than reported, according to ISBE
spokeswoman Mary Fergus.
"We know that it can mean a little less attention in the classroom,"
said Fergus. "It can mean students aren't getting access to some
really great instruction that can enhance their education." The report also shows that since 2008, tenured and non-tenured
teaching positions that were eliminated had increased from 39
percent to 66 percent in 2010. More non-tenured teachers were shown
the door than tenured ones last year than in previous years. Schools are getting less money and are having to lay off teachers as
a result of budget cuts, Fergus said.
"General state aid has gone out on a timely basis, but a lot of the
mandated categorical payments have been delayed," Fergus said.
"We've been running about a billion dollars behind in some of those
payments at the state level, because of this very national recession
that we're in."
General state aid is the state's largest education funding program,
and categorical aid is state and federal money given to local school
districts for special education programs.
Crystal Lake School District lost more than $5 million in state
funding in the past few years, said chief financial officer Susan
Harkin.
"We certainly don't have other avenues to really go out and raise
more money, and certainly we aren't in an environment to raise
taxes, specifically, because that seems to be the only place we can
go to," Harkin said. "And for our situation, when we are 75 percent
of budget in salaries and benefits, you really have to look at that
line item to find some significant reductions to offset that larger
loss in revenue."
As a result, the school district had to reduce
staff by offering early retirement to teachers and leaving those
positions unfilled, Harkin said. Fifteen teachers took early
retirement last year, and 22 more positions will be left unfilled
this year, she said. The district's school board worked closely with
the teachers' union to freeze pay this year to prevent future
reductions, she said.
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"Had they not worked with us to negotiate what we felt was a fair
contract," Harkin said, "we would have had to get into the layoff
mode that a lot of school districts are in right now."
Kaneland Community School District had to work hard to prevent
layoffs last year, because six non-tenured support positions were
cut in 2009, said Superintendent Jeff Schuler.
"Last year, we did reduce a number of folks, but then we worked with
our teachers' union to restructure the salary agreement," Schuler
said. "And, so that wound up preserving the jobs last year."
The school district can withstand late payments, he said, but budget
cuts are more harmful because it is harder to replace lost revenue.
"Quite honestly, we already run on a pretty lean and a pretty
efficient budget," Schuler said. "And so anytime that we learn that
we are going to get less revenue in the next year, that's not going
to be good for us, there's no doubt about it."
[Illinois
Statehouse News; By DIANE S.W. LEE]
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