SD 227 lays off 48 teachers for next school year

SD 227 lays off 48 teachers for next school year

BY SARAH ZYLSTRA SouthTown Correspondent April 9, 2012 8:22PM

Rich Township High School District 227 has laid off 48 full-time teachers, 33 instructional aides and six administrative staff for the 2012-13 school year.

The dismissals should save the district about $5.5 million, according to Supt. Donna Leak.

District 227 is looking to close an $8 million budget gap for the next school year caused by less state funding, late payments from the state and district funds being diverted to Southland Charter Prep High School in Richton Park, which is in its second year. The district also will cut one period from the daily class schedule for 2012-13.

“The success of students is inextricably linked to the commitment and creativity of our team,” Leak said. “It takes significant revenues to boost that propeller. Unfortunately we are currently experiencing a loss in revenue due to circumstances that are largely beyond our control.”

Mike Curran, president of the teachers’ union, the Rich Township High School Educators Association, called the dismissals a “knee-jerk reaction.

“Some more creative ways should have been explored by the board before they sliced about 88 classroom positions,” he said. “We’re trying to address it behind closed doors.”

School board members Cheryl Coleman and David Morgan voted Thursday night against dismissing the teachers, and Coleman voted against dismissing the support personnel. Board member Sonya Norwood was not present.

“I understand that cuts must be made,” Coleman said. “I’m concerned at the number that we’re going with.”

She said the board initially planned to cut 16 teachers for a savings of $1.2 million, but the number kept growing.

“I still haven’t heard how we plan to help children with deficiencies,” Coleman told the board. “Do we have a game plan in place for that, and how do we plan on doing that?”

Leak said District 227 works with feeder schools to identify students who need extra help, offers summer programs in reading and math and gives students extra tutoring during school if they need it.

“We have a multitude of plans,” she said.  But all those items were in place prior to the layoffs, Coleman said.  “How will the programs look differently with the staff that is going to be less?” she said. “I know there is an impact. There has to be.”  That information will be provided at another meeting, board president Betty Owens said.