District 113A Board to Discuss Next Round of Possible Cuts Thursday

The Board of Education will begin preparing for another round of possible cuts — including the closing of — at a special meeting Thursday night.

Central School, District Reorganization

District 113A Superintendent Tim Ricker, Asst. Superintendent Mary Gricus and Central School Principal Gina Rodewald will present during the meeting an updated report on options for district reorganization, according to the agenda posted on the district's website.

The was originally presented to the board at its Feb. 14 meeting, and recommended that Central School be closed should the April 5 referendum fail. The district is currently operating under a state-approved financial plan that calls for at least $670,000 in additional cuts without an increase in revenue.

Taking into consideration the failure of the $20 million working cash bond referendum in April, as well as declining enrollment patterns and maximization of resources and facilities, the administration is recommending that the Board of Education close Central School "until the financial situation can accommodate the addition of staff and programs.

The recommendation is based on the district's need for a "sound long range plan," "fiscal responsibility," "optimization of facilities" and "optimization of staffing resources," according to the presentation.

The closing of Central School would save approximately $356,747, according to district documents.

In terms of reorganization, the district would have two options should Central School close. In the first option, the buildings would remain at status quo. However, the total population at the River Valley/Oakwood campus would exceed 1,500, which is greater than the population of Lemont High School:

• Oakwood School: Early Childhood, Grades K-2 (750 students)
• River Valley School: Grades 3-5 (798 students)
• Old Quarry Middle School: Grades 6-8 (872 students)

The second option would be to reorganize the schools so that fifth-graders are sent to Old Quarry, essentially creating two schools in one building:

• Oakwood School: Early Childhood, Grades K-2 (750 students)
• River Valley School: Grades 3-4 (537 students)
• Old Quarry Middle School: Grades 5-8 (1,133 students)

Transportation Committee Recommendations

The Board of Education will also begin discussing possible transportation cuts during the meeting Thursday.

A presentation is expected to be made by Principal Bill Caron and District 113A Transportation Director Pam Mazurek, who will report the findings of the Transportation Committee's recent study of bus routes and walk zones.

From the study, the committee found that six of the district's original 24 hazardous routes no longer meet guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Transportation to be considered hazardous. Only three, however, would not qualify for reimbursement:

• 127th Street from Covington Drive to Hillview Drive
• State Street from Keepataw Drive to 1011 State Street
• State Street from 132d Street to 127th Street

For the 2011-2012 school year, the committee is recommending that the board cut routes that no longer qualify for reimbursement. The projected savings is estimated to be $123,375.

Increased Student Fees

The board is expected to take action Thursday night on student fees for the upcoming school year.

As a result of budget reductions and the failed referenda, the administration is recommending an increase in student fees, according to the agenda.

The first area of increase is in the book rental/material fees. According to district documents, "the increase is a direct result of the need for materials and books that have been cut out of the fiscal years 2010 and 2011 budgets, as well as the projected reductions in the fiscal year 2012 budget yet to be adopted." The increased cost is also a result of the State Textbook Loan Program being eliminated by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The proposed book rental/material fees are:

• $75 for early childhood and kindergarten ($5 increase);
• $165 for grades 1-2 ($10 increase);
• $175 for grades 3-8 ($10 increase)

The second area of increase is in technology fees, which include subsidizing the wireless program, software upgrades, licenses and student assessment software.

The proposed technology fees are:

• $22.50 for early childhood and kindergarten ($2.50 increase);
• $40 for grades 1-8 ($5 increase)

The anticipated revenue from the proposed 2011-2012 fees is $413,650, with $33,030 in waivers, according to district documents.

Tax Anticipation Warrants

Representatives from PMA Financial are expected to address the board with an update on the latest information on the sale of tax anticipation warrants.

According to agenda documents, the district is attempting to sell $5.3 million in TAWs in order to meet its financial obligations in July.

Documents show that 23 financial institutions received information regarding District 113A's request. They had until Wednesday to indicate potential interest.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Old Quarry Middle School LRC, 16100 W. 127th St..