DAVID DELGADO
WESTVILLE — Westville school board members met Wednesday night and devised a tentative list of reductions for the 2010-2011 school year in response to the state budget crisis.
The potential reductions include three teaching positions, one kitchen position, the CARE pre-kindergarten program, the wrestling program and Judith Giacoma sports programs.
There might be cutbacks on non-essential purchases such as new textbooks, technologies and supplies for one year. Extracurricular activities and assessments for cooperative programs also might face reductions. Board members estimate about $650,000 in savings from the proposed budget.
“My hope is that we will get our funding back and move forward, but the news out of Springfield is not very good,” Superintendent Jim Owens said.
After assessing Gov. Pat Quinn’s state budget address, Owens said Westville stands to lose about $400,000 next year in state funding.
“As of today, the state still owes us $289,000, and I don’t anticipate that we’ll get that money,” he added. He encouraged members of the community to contact their state legislators and express their concerns regarding the funding shortage.
Owens also announced a study session will be at 6:30 p.m. on April 7 at the high school to discuss ways of coping with the budget dilemma.
Also Wednesday, junior high principal Greg Lewis received a Spotlight School Award certificate from the Illinois State Board of Education in recognition of the record number of students on the 2009 Illinois honor roll. The spotlight school award recognizes outstanding student achievement in low-income communities.
