Rock Island/Milan schools cut $2 million from budget - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Rock Island/Milan schools cut $2 million from budget

By: Kate Pabich
kpabich@cbs4qc.com

Some teachers could be losing their jobs in the Rock Island/ Milan school district.  The school board made some big cuts Tuesday night.
 
Educators say the cuts will save the district $2 million this year alone.  But they come at a cost for some staff and programs.
 
The Rock Island/Milan school board sat down to work out the 2013-2014 budget and saw a big problem, in the form of a $4 million deficit.
 
A gap that was partially filled Tuesday night.  The school board voted to cut all the tier one funding that the district's CFO recommended.

Superintendent, Mike Oberhaus, says that means teachers in the special ed program will go without aids next year and that will save a$150,000.  And a cut in new textbooks will save about the same amount.

Plus, the district will lose 9 teachers, increasing each classroom size by 1 student. Oberhaus says retirement openings will simply go unfilled.

"We have retirements so we won't fill those vacancies, so there might be a handful that need to be released at the end of the year but many will come through attrition."

All adding up to a savings of more than $2 million. Oberhaus says the deficit and all the cuts are no thanks to Springfield.

"The state of Illinois accounts for 41% of our revenue, so it's a pretty big deal when they have issues and the funds don't flow down to the local level from the state."
 
The school district is required to let teachers know if they will be released 45 days before the end of the school year.