BY CAROL ROEHM
OAKWOOD — Oakwood students, teachers and the public made emotional pleas to the school board Wednesday night to look for alternatives to cutting popular programs and extracurricular activities.
“Sometimes you cannot measure in dollars what it’s going to do to these kids,” 29-year art teacher Lori Learned warned the school board about its proposed program cuts.
A tearful Kristin Fugate, who is a member of the Comettes dance team, asked the school board, “Why were we put on the chopping block and not any other activity?”
Fugate was one of about 80 people who turned out for a second open forum at the grade school, where the school board hoped to gather input on the proposed program and staff cuts.
School board members are expected to act on the proposed cuts for the upcoming school year at its regular meeting Monday night.
The school district, which operates on an annual budget of about $12 million and has $4 million in cash reserves, anticipates a shortfall of $1.25 million in state funding due to Illinois’ financial crisis and proposes cutting $841,857 in expenditures for the 2010-2011 school year that starts in August.
Even with the proposed cuts and fee increases, the district still expects a $344,000 to $348,000 shortfall in next school year’s budget that will be covered by cash reserves. However, recent news that the state may release $275,000 in funding to the school district may affect what cuts are actually made by Aug. 16.
During a slide presentation at the beginning of the forum, school board president Greg Wolfe stressed that Unit 76 is in good financial shape but needs to take proactive measures now to stay that way.
Wolfe added that “our decisions could change depending on funding and student enrollment.” School officials will develop a priority list of programs and staff to reinstate should funding become available in the future.
Some of the cuts include discontinuing art class at the grade school and band in grades 5 through 12, choir in grades 7 through 12, eliminating several coaching positions and corresponding sports and extracurricular activities, and not replacing a couple of grade school teachers who will retire at the end of this school year. The savings also takes into consideration travel, textbook and supply costs associated with the activities.
The district also is considering raising fees in some areas to offset the shortfall in the next school year’s budget. That includes increasing the driver’s education behind-the-wheel fee to $150, registration fees by $20 per student and lunch prices by 20 cents and implementing an activity/athletics fee. The fee increases should net the district $59,000 to $63,000 in new revenue.
Oakwood resident Jackie McCarter told the school board, “I don’t agree with charging for everything. There are a lot of single parents who don’t have as much money as others.
“I think we should use rainy day funds (to cover expenses) or try to get a federal grant for a solar panel system,” she said.
“I don’t want any cuts,” McCarter added. “The only way our children can get ahead is to teach them.”
Oakwood resident Sydney Watson said she didn’t mind having to pay for extracurricular activities but asked if the athletic teams were required by law to ride school buses to sporting events or if parents could provide them with rides to save the school district gas and bus driver costs.
“It would be a liability issue because they’re school-sponsored events,” Wolfe told her.
Oakwood High School student Josh Blair, who is involved in art club and the high school’s music program, said he and other students would be willing to raise funds so they could continue to participate in various programs and extracurricular activities and make them self-funding.
Paige Watson, who co-coaches the Comettes, said the dance team is self-sufficient.
“The girls earn their own money through fundraising to buy their uniforms, admittance to camps and travel costs. The only cost to the district is a minimal coach’s salary which is shared (between two coaches).”
Fithian resident Michelle Chesnut told the school board, “What you’re faced with is not that unique to what other companies are facing.”
She suggested paying outside vendors to provide food service, bus service and maintenance work.
“Develop a team that includes school officials and parents to address ongoing budget concerns,” she suggested.
Marietta Hance who lives in rural Oakwood agreed. “There’s a lot of help and support in the community with parents and grandparents.”
Hance also asked the district to consider using smaller school buses to save on fuel costs.
Heather Brewer said she attended Catlin schools but moved her family to Oakwood because the district offered more educational and extracurricular opportunities.
“Catlin used Suburbans rather than a full bus when transporting kids to extracurricular activities,” she said.
“Talk with DACC about collaborating with the wind energy program to get a wind turbine here,” Brewer added.
Fithian resident Linda Weyh told the school board she’s worried what will happen to the students if their extracurricular activities or favorite program is cut.
“What are our kids going to do if you cut the activities? They’re going to be out drinking and doing drugs,” she said. “All these programs are very important. Don’t cut these kids’ programs.”
Brewer agreed. “Kids do better at school when they have something to do better for.”
An initial public forum March 9 drew a crowd of 250, but the school board decided to hold a second forum because the public did not have an opportunity to review Unit 76’s financial condition prior to the first meeting and offer solid recommendations for the board to consider.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Oakwood School Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. Monday in the multipurpose room at Oakwood Grade School. At the meeting, board members are expected to act on cost-cutting measures and reduction of staff, effective in the 2010-2011 school year. A list of the potential reductions as well as a PowerPoint presentation from the March 9 forum is posted on the school district’s Web site, http://www.oakwood.k12.il.us. The district’s budget is also available for viewing on the Unit 76 Web site.
