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Your responses to our recent budget cut survey
provided us with some valuable information
regarding the situation superintendents are facing
across the state.
Extrapolating the results from the 168 responses
we received (a +/- 6.5% statistical margin of error),
the state’s budget cuts to General State Aid and
Transportation, if they stand as proposed, will result
in as many as 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE)
positions being cut by school districts in Illinois. This
would be in addition to staff cuts districts already
have imposed the past few years as state funding
and local revenues have shrunk to historic
proportions.
IASA is extending an invitation for regions to
come to Springfield on May 15 for what we are
calling “Education Impact Day” to talk with
legislators about increasing funding for public
education. The Southwestern and Wabash Valley
Regions are scheduled to be at the capitol. For
more information, please click
Unfunded mandates are causing additional fiscal
pain and an inordinate amount of paperwork as well
as hamstringing the ability for school leaders to
make local decisions that are in the best interests of
their students.
The survey indicated that the Special Education
mandates are costing school districts as much as
$180 million (an average of more than $241,000 per
district) more than they are receiving to implement
the Special Education mandates. That’s one reason
we were happy that State Superintendent Dr. Chris
Koch proposed rules changes that would provide
flexibility at the local level to determine what
appropriate class size and ratios should be.
We are hopeful that ISBE will approve those
recommendations by Dr. Koch, who has an
extensive background as a special education
administrator, despite heavy opposition to the
proposed
changes.
We
believe
those
recommendations would help provide better
educational opportunities for all students, including
special education students.
The survey indicated that statewide the Physical
Education mandates are costing up to $70 million,
an average of more than $88,000. The Certified
School Nurse mandate – another unfunded mandate
for which Dr. Koch has proposed some relief –
would cost up to $35 million, or more than $44,000
per district. The cost for Driver’s Education
was about $34 million statewide.
Add those mandates up and we’re talking
about some $320 million, or an average of
more than $400,000 per school district – and
those are just a few of the more than 100
unfunded mandates for school districts in
Illinois. Combine that with the previously
mentioned cuts to GSA and Transportation
and you can see why school districts across
the state are looking at major layoffs and cuts
to programs.
At a time when state funding is being cut so
dramatically, it would seem to make sense to offer
school districts relief from some of these mandates.
That wouldn’t cost the state any money. It is our
strong belief that the decisions on how to provide
the best educational opportunities in this economic
environment require flexibility and should be made
at the local level taking into account the unique
situations and needs in communities.
Message from the Executive Director:
Survey shows school districts hurting
By Dr. Brent Clark
“It is our strong belief that the decisions
on how to provide the best educational
opportunities
in
this
economic
environment require flexibility and should
be made at the local level taking into
account the unique situations and needs in
communities
.”
