The salary of a PE teacher at Churchville in 2010 was $100,846. In 2011 his salary rose $16,000. He stands with a clipboard and yells at children, why are we paying him so much!!!

From above - "labor costs—salaries and benefits—are the biggest chunk of the district's budget, and they have accelerated at a much faster rate than the consumer price index". Since labor costs keep going up, everything else has to suffer. Until there is some control on labor costs, this will be a continuing problem. Since private sector taxpayers have seen little in the way of wage increases over the last number of years, many seeing decreases, trying to tax your way out of the problem is not feasible (in fact foolish). So pick your poison. Control labor costs, cannibalize the programs or raise taxes.

Perhaps take a look at the end result of REACH. Having children that went through Dist 205, college and now are in the work force, my retrospective view of their classmates who were put into the REACH fka "Gifted" program now shows a group of young adults that now seem to be floundering in the real world, as a result their choices/changes in major, a lack of diligence, seemingly caused by some sense of entitlement. Granted, it's just a small subset viewed through my personal experience, but if this result is more the rule rather than the exception, maybe it's time to take a look at cutting a program that may be providing nothing more than temporary boost to the children's and the parent's ego.

MSD
If "labor coast- salaries and benefits" are so high, let's be creative and consider administrators' pay. How many more 'assistants to the Superintendent' do we have now than we had 25 years ago? Does the District pay all their health insurance? When cuts are made it always seems to be teachers' salaries or cutting the teaching staff. Cutting a few administrator jobs, paying well over $100,000 each, will make more of an impact than an $8,000 stipend.

I have not heard discussion, and the idea does not appear on the 'yellow list' or the 'white list'.

I think the subject of administrators having their insurance paid for should be talked about more. Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed and the administrators are the people who can afford to pay for it more than the teachers and staff. The community should be provided with information about the cost for this insurance coverage and then we can see how many teachers and/or programs we can save with that money.

Does the district pay for the entire premium or do the administrators contribute? I would guess that they contribute toward the premium, but I have no facts one way or the other. If you are suggesting that administration folks should pay for their own insurance entirely, you are going to have a difficult time attracting the best people. In fact you may not be able to attract anyone.

Well, if that's the case, that's a pretty sweet deal.

I am sick about the kids having music cut back. Music for primary kids, where the kids in District 205 have been learning how to read music, has been proven to help them learn math and reading better. But a once a week class is similar to a high school French class being taught once a week for two hours. The students NEED the repetition to help them learn.
I was so grateful for the music classes when my children went through Emerson with Mrs. Cioni. I'm sorry that students will lose so much in only one 45 minute class.

I was surprised, like others, that there was nothing cut from administration. It seems out of step to retain an army of assistant superintendents, yet cut into valuable programming for students. I think the board should take a closer look at best practices to determine what is truly valuable to student learning. My guess is that some of these superintendent positions could be consolidated and perhaps some of the workload could be shared with lower salaried administrative assistants.

1)The REACH program is NOT for the gifted children but rather for those kids who test well on the standardized test s the district loves so much. 2)All students have the chance for honors and AP classes in HS with many students leaving their REACH peers in the dust much to the disbelief of their parents 3) There are MANY classes at York, usually math and science class that are very close and over the 30 student mark. Just ask the teachers. 4) The building principle controls who is put into an AD or other adminsrator slot and who gets moved out. Time to realize how and why this happens. 5) While the board is is contemplating these cuts, maybe thet can think about WHY O WHY does York continue to be the laughing stock of DuPage Cty.? 6)There is only ONE
sport left at our beloved York where kids who drink are immediately off the team. Anyone care to guess the
sport?

These cuts are ridiculous. It's ridiculous that they are going to practically eliminate the music and arts programs and eliminate positions like teacher assistants, librarians and others who help the school run smoothly and help students. As far as the PE teacher comment. I am a PE teacher and I make mo where near that salary and probably never will. I went to Elmhurst College and let me tell you from my personal experience. I do a ton of things for my students, things that go unnoticed and that will never be recognized. I teach 12 classes a day and I VOLUNTEER coach just because I want to prove how grateful I am to have a job. I also coach special Olympics for next to nothing and work and volunteer for a special rec. Just so you know, I just lost my job to some principal who got demoted and who makes over 100,000 a year and instead of letting him go and SAVING 100,000 they chose to keep him and let the 1st year teacher who makes nothing go...I'm a teacher first and a coach second. Lay off the PE teachers. I agree there r some bad ones just like there r bad workers in any subject area or industry but some of us actually care about the kids.. Also, I've seen some administrators in other districts that make 250,000-350,000 a year. Theres where they need to make the cuts.

Good teachers will be let go, sadly and those in teacher admin positions will again be moved back into the classroom at a salary of $110,000 to ' teach ' because ... It is all political BS

This is what I think about REACH they asked my child to apply for it in grade school she didn't get in because they told her she didn't put her emotions into her responses. In High School she has taken multiple honors classes all thru High School. I don't think that if you get in it will make your school career that much better, I also don't think that if you don't get in it will make your school career that much worse.

I do think that all employees no matter what the business you are in should have to pay some portion of their health care. The health care is very expensive.

I am not against pensions if that is part of your benefits then that is part of your benefits. But I also don't think that just because you have a Masters Degree - no matter what profession it automatically makes you a better teacher, employee, etc.

That's my 2cents

OMG........ Has anybody looked at this. http://www.familytaxpayers.org/salary.php
There are quite a few six figure "educators" in district 205. That's a whole lot of pay for 9 months of work. A few periodic cuts should be expected when you're talking about this level of pay.

OMG... 666, Why do you keep putting "educator" in quotes?? Do you doubt their ability to teach as well as you are jealous (stike that) hate their salaries? Why are we villainizing this man? He's a father and has been working in the district forever. Obviously, no one is suggesting that everyone who has a post-grad degree is automatically awesome. But, come on, let's support each other. Teachers didn't get us into this mess. This season, of all seasons, should be about loving each other and not hurting one another. But that's right, your name is 666.

As a taxpayer and parent, I am invested Elmhurst and its schools. I was relieved that the board and teachers finally came to an agreement. But after the April 3rd board meeting, I'm getting that sinking feeling again. I understand that we are in tough economic times that call for difficult measures. But I am stunned by the short-sighted cuts proposed by the administration.

One thing is glaringly obvious to me: ALL of the cuts, except ONE district receptionist position, would directly impact students. Larger classes in elementary school, especially in lower grades, will lead to less learning for our kids. Eliminating music or athletics is unimaginable to me. The mental health, engagement, esteem, and discipline that these programs build cannot be removed without serious consequences. I know I am not alone in saying how much these programs have helped my kids.

Outraged, I did a little research and found a glaring discrepancy. According to the district website, total student enrollment rose 11% from 2003-2010. But curiously during that same time frame, the number of Central Office administrators more than DOUBLED. I also found out that we pay 100% of their health care costs. As a matter of equity, I would think that the administrators would get the same package that the teachers get, especially in these dire times.

Another thing that really gets me is the approximately $150,000 that goes to the office of Communications and Public Relations each year. Why does a transparent, effective district and board need a specialist to spin messages? And what's up with these PMA accounting consultants? Don't we have a Superintendent for Finances we already pay to do that job?

Before we cut critical student services, let's make sure the district isn't top heavy. We ask our teachers to sacrifice, so let's require the same frugality and accountability from administrators. While I appreciate the hard work of board members and the difficult decisions they face, I feel like our town is gripped in some kind of dysfunctional dance between the board, the administration, and the teachers. SURELY there are alternatives to these cuts. I remember on March 20 the teachers suggested a number of possible efficiencies. Why haven't these been brought to the table by the administration and the board before any decisions are made?

Find a way to collaborate and solve the problem. Our kids' futures our riding on it!

The problem with comparing us to other countries is that it's comparing apples to oranges. In this country we have agreed to educate everybody; other countries either don't educate everyone (do you really believe that every child in China is given a top education?), or they take exams in their equivalent of middle school and shunted to various vocations. We are being compared to their top kids. Not only that, they are very good at taking tests. Is that what you want for your kids? Just to be a good test taker? How many Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have those countries produced? Not every kid is going to be at the top. But I think our schools do the best they can to make sure that our kids succeed the best they can. I'm with Emily D-it seems that the people that are on this board are the angriest and are taking out their anger in anonymity. It's true that I am not using my true name either, but I don't want to become a target. I wish people would be more civil. I think the reason that schools and teachers are the focus of people's anger is because it's the one place where they feel they have a smidge of control over where their money is spent. No, having a master's degree doesn't necessarily make a better teacher, but experience DOES count for something. In ANY job, there should be compensation for experience, and there should be something to work towards when you are a young teacher. Young people add spark to an organization, but they need experienced mentors.

666-I think you are agreeing with me? :) The problem is that with No Child Left Behind, all kids are treated the same and the schools are "graded" this way. Under NCLB, every subgroup has to meet standards by 2014. At York most kids meet standards, but special ed, for example, is a subgroup, as is ELL (English Language Learners). These kids also have to meet standards and I know some special ed teachers who have told me what they go through every year to help these kids do their best on the test. They can take as long as they want, they get a single person to sit and read through the test with them, etc. It's an incredible amount of manpower that goes into administering the state testing every year. York hasn't made AYP (Annual Yearly Progress) because of the subgroup scores. And also, 666, some of those budget cuts are in areas that could help these kids find an alternate career path as you are suggesting. I feel that there is too much emphasis placed on testing and that we are going to be raising a generation of kids who either do well on tests but lose their creative drive in the process, or overlook the kids who aren't good test takers but could still be very successful in life in a vocational area. You are absolutely right when you say that pushing all of these kids toward college and judging our schools on how many kids do go to college, is a waste of money for some, and will put the rest into debt for the rest of their lives.

Also, we are being compared to other countries around the world and China (well, Singapore, anyway) keeps coming up as a benchmark. I agree that they are our global competition right now. But little Finland has been neck and neck with them in achievement. In America, the way the laws are written is punitive toward teachers-ie. we want to base your pay on how well your students do on tests and if they don't do well you should be out on your ear. At the same time, with the economy the way it is, we are taking resources AWAY and cramming more kids into each classroom. There is data that says that classroom size does not correlate with test scores, but don't you think kids would do better if they had the teacher's attention more often? Is it only test scores that matter? Finland doesn't do testing, the teachers are fully unionized, teacher education programs are as hard to get into as med school and law school, and they pay their teachers on par with doctors and lawyers. They are treated as professionals. This is what it takes to improve education, but America isn't really following the model that will get us there. Here, it is politically correct to demand more testing, and scapegoat the teachers for all of society's ills. I think we are going to be sacrificing a generation of kids to all this infighting and political polarization.

This is a tough situation for everyone involved.

Workers (Teachers and Administrators) want the most pay for the least amount of work - no shame in that - who would turn down a raise or accept working more hours without a fight?

Elmhurst residents want the best education system for the least amount of money (less taxes paid).

One thing is for certain, you cannot sustain a system where the labor costs represent the bulk of your budget, and they rise at a faster pace than the CPI. We'll be facing these same decisions every year.

David-thanks for finding that info. Articles I have read said differently, but I also have read that it is very hard to get into the ed programs. Respect is worth a lot in a profession, though. I don't think we respect our teachers enough, certainly not in this political climate or in this economy. I'd be interested to know where you are getting the stats for your last comment-the bottom third of students become teachers? I'd like to know if that is really true. I don't know about you, but I'd rather have the smartest people teaching my children. To get that, we probably have to continue to pay teachers well to recruit the smartest and keep them from going into more lucrative professions. I'd say our teachers are paid pretty well-not as much as some other unit districts in the area, but more than most. I'd like to keep the best ones here, and not have them jump ship for better pay. WIth the threat of job layoffs and diminishing budgets every year in 205, and the threat of an uncertain retirement down the road, why would they stay here?

Really interesting report. Suggests that teachers should be paid 65K to start and 150K at the top to recruit/retain the top 1/3 of students into teaching. Discusses what Finland, Singapore and South Korea, supposedly the 3 model ed systems in the world, do to get the performance they get. Totally opposite of what we do in this country. Check it out. Thanks, David for finding this.

Let's face it, 205 has to make some deep cuts, the taxpayers of Elm. can not keep giving raises and paying some jock P.E. teacher over $100k. There is a lot of fat at these schools and the district has too make some cuts. Fact of life.

If you feel that 6 years or more of college and working for 25+ years to earn $116,000 a year is not enough than you are a moron. Shame on all of you for someone trying to earn a living. If it is so great, then you can "sign up" for it. Start by paying 60-120,000 is student loans for a four year degree and then find a PE job in this crappy economy. What is funny is that people in the Private Sector think they have all the answers? Most likely they sit at a desk and type in numbers and BS all day and get paid 100,000 dollars at the entry level. That is what sucks. Teacher salaries are shown but is that really what they earn. NO. That includes coaching, summer school, and there TRS contributions. Please stop ragging on PE teachers and look at your own job. Or quit your job and go back to school to make $50,000 at the high end to be in education. If you are happy making 100,000 at the END of your career than be a teacher, for anyone else in the private sector that is nothing.

raw end of the deal?! Please Joe you make it sound like those teachers do some sort of back breaking labor like digging ditches for 100 hours a week. Please! PLEASE! I can hold that clipboard for a mighty long time for 100k a year and i wouldnt whine about it like your friends do.

I think that you kind find salaries that you don't agree with in any sector of the work force. I know a pharmaceutical Drug Rep that make 150,000 a year with his car paid and has great benefits. Do you not think that salaries like that don't influence the price of medications? Do I think that he deserves that to drive around to doctors offices? Not really, but I have never done that job so I do not TRUELY no how hard he works. It seems like a easy job to me. The same thing all of you think about being a PE teacher or a teacher in general. It is not just teaching, but these people do deserve what they earn and work hard for it. There are always teachers that slip through the cracks and probably just do it for a paycheck. It is like that everywhere you go in any work place. CEO's for example get 100's of millions in retirement benefits that results in higher prices for merchandise and gas. Does anyone complain about that. Not really. Your superintendent is the CEO 'if you will let me use that term" of your school district. His salary is much less than any private sector CEO but we still complain about it. The big picture here is that you kind find fault with anyone's salary if you don't do the job, but go to your school and watch a teacher 1 day even a PE, music, or coach and see what they actually do in that one day with your children. If you want to feel empowered as a tax payer, you have that right.

Just don't complain about it unless you see what they do. Alsio, everyone is pointing out the 1% of teachers that make over 100,000. Look at the rest of the salaries, there are no teachers with under 20 years that make that kind of money. Soon those folks will retire with what pension they can still get and the district will get a new teacher and pay them 35,000-45,000 depending on there education. As far as job security, ask all the non-tenured and tenured teachers in Elgin, Rockford, Elmhurst, Plainfield and pretty much every other district in the state how good a teachers job security is these days. There are some perks that teachers have, but it is not all sunshine and rainbows in the public sector either.

I can never agree with the argument of "well, CEOs make $100 Billion dollars a year, so teachers should make more...". I have 2 problems with this argument.

The first is that in the free market (private industry without unions) - market forces will determine the pay. If your Drug Rep friends company could find someone to do the job equally well for $50,0000 a year, they would do it. That is just economics. Most public sector jobs don't work that way. Pay and benefits are negotiated through political contributions, legislation, and union negotiations - not job performance.

The second problem I have with your argument, I really don't care what CEOs make. I have the option to not support their companies, and buy competing products. Since public workers are paid through my tax dollars, and I don't have the option to not pay taxes, I have a vested interest in where those tax dollars are spent - and thus, public sector salaries and benefits are of direct concern to me.

Again, I'm not trying to pick on Elmhurst teachers. If you want an apples to apples comparison, compare Illinois teachers pay and benefits to other teachers in the US. There is an article at: http://www.championnews.net/2012/03/12/why-is-illinoisstop-teacher-salary-108000-more-than-kentuckys/

Some interesting data in the article:

Number of teachers with salaries in excess of $100,000/yr. ($11,000/mo.):

Illinois = 7,576
Kentucky = ZERO
Iowa = 2
Wisconsin = 4
Missouri = 11

That number 7,576 is small in comparison to 130000 IEA members in Illinois. Many of those top salaries are probably administrators that finished there careers in the classroom. That 7500 number is under 6% of the educators in Illinois make over 6 figures. How many teachers are in Kentucky? Wisconsin? Iowa? Missouri? What percentage make above 6 figures. Again 6% is not too many. Check south of I80 and I bet there is less than 1%. It comes with where you live and CHOOSE to educate your children. I would like gas prices in Illinois to be the same as Kentucky and Iowa or even central Illinois but they are not. I CHOOSE to live in northern Illinois a suffer from higher property taxes and gas prices.