Wednesday, February 13, 2013
But the School Board has a giant task in front of it: finding out from the community how it wants to restructure the district for long-term sustainability.
Elmhurst Unit District 205 is facing a budget deficit of $1.7 million for next fiscal year. But after much discussion Tuesday, School Board members decided not to lay off any teachers to bridge the gap. It will be the first time in several years teachers have not been let go. That does not mean, however, that the district's budget problems are improving or that reductions in force won't be needed the following year, board member said. Basically, they are buying time—12 to 18 months—so they can go out into the community and talk to stakeholders about how they should structurally change the district for long-term sustainability. These will be significant changes, board members said, not stopgap measures year to year. What is causing the …
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Budget cuts will hit the classroom in 2012-13.
- SCHOOLS
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Thursday, April 12, 2012
Elmhurst Unit District 205 on Thursday released the specific certified teaching positions that are being cut as a result of 2012-13 budget reductions. Following is the breakdown of the 16 positions provided by Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Brad Hillman. At the elementary level, full time equivalent (FTE) positions eliminated include three teachers of core curriculum and three "specials" positions: At the middle school level, FTE positions eliminated include two core teachers and one world language teacher: At the high school, three core and four elective FTE teaching positions have been eliminated: All affected teachers have been notified. According to a statement from the district, "it is difficult to figure the exact …
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Two voted against the contract because of pension enhancements for teachers at the top of the scale.
The teachers of Elmhurst Unit District 205 finally have a new, four-year contract, and taxpayers will now know what is in it. The 18-month negotiation process divided the community and, just last month, the School Board declared an impasse fueling speculation about a strike. According to comments on Elmhurst Patch, some taxpayers concluded the teachers were expecting too many financial perks, while the teachers' supporters said not everyone can do the difficult job of teaching. Some said pensions are out of control, while the teachers' supporters said they are entitled to that money and are not to blame for the pension debacle orchestrated by the state of Illinois. The teachers union claimed the district had a $27 million surplus; the …
Monday, April 18, 2011
Seniority should not be the deciding factor in layoffs; let legislators know teacher performance should outweigh seniority.
- OPINION
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Monday, April 18, 2011
In keeping with school board code, dozens of teachers in Elmhurst received pink slips last month effectively putting their careers on hold. As a taxpayer in these financially difficult times, I understand why the pink slips are necessary. But as a parent with four children in our District 205 schools, I object to Illinois laws that determine how these layoff decisions are made. If we are forced to make do with larger class sizes in Elmhurst, shouldn’t those classrooms be led by the most effective teachers? In Illinois, seniority is the sole factor in layoffs. In the classroom, experience is important, but research shows–and the best teachers will tell you–that there is more to teaching than just the years spent in a classroom. In fact…
John Iwaszkiewicz
6:16 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
NO REFERENDUM. NOT ONE MORE DOLLAR. I agree Peggy. Until teacher salaries and pensions are brought into alignment with the free market we have zero chance to balance the budget. more ›