Local schools will lose millions next year

The Southland's elementary and high schools, already struggling through this year's late state aid payments, layoffs, school closures and other cutbacks, would be walloped by Gov. Pat Quinn's proposed state budget. Revealed Wednesday, public schools take a beating in 2011. Education overall would see $12.34 billion, a $2.4 billion cut from this year.

"The real price tag could be anywhere from $500 to $700 less (per student)," House education committee chairman Linda Chapa LaVia told reporters.

Under the conservative figure, we'd see deep losses for local schools. Here's a sample of estimates based on 2009 School Report Card data.

Mokena District 159, which just decided to cut 15 teachers, would lose more than $1 million. Harvey 152 loses $1.25 million. Oak Lawn-Hometown 123: $1.5 million. New Lenox 122: $2.8 million. Among high school districts, Lincoln-Way HS 210 would be out $3.55 million and Community Consolidated HS 230, serving the Orland, Tinley Palos area, loses $4.35 million.

These losses would blow huge holes in school budgets, and administrators are still trying to come to grips with this year's problems.

In recent weeks, Mokena schools laid off teachers and cut extracurricular programs. And Oak Lawn-Hometown school officials decided to close a school and put seven teachers out of work. In the coming months, expect to see the number of layoffs grow significantly throughout the region.

When seeking adequate financial support for education, Southland schools have long been Illinois' bastard stepchild. With the state in arrears on payments to local districts this year, school officials have faced up to difficult cuts. But the bloodletting is far from over.

Millions of dollars in federal stimulus aid, rather than being used to expand educational opportunity, have been used to patch holes in local budgets while the state falls further behind in its obligations. And next year, there will be no federal stimulus money to prop up our classrooms.

How are schools handling this year's woes?

Just this week, in Oak Lawn, district officials decided to close Brandt School, used for years as a science center, and cut seven teachers. This will save the district $1.2 million.

Earlier this month, New Lenox District 122 imposed additional fees on students, including a $25 athletic fee on every sport played and a $100 band fee. But these efforts to pick parents' pockets are just a pittance compared to the cost of such programs and the projected shortfall in state aid.

In Mokena 159, whose bid for a tax hike was rejected by 60 percent of the voters during this severe recession, parents are angry with the school board for moving ahead with cuts. They want to negotiate to keep extracurricular activies, such as band. The editor of the local newspaper, the Mokena Messenger, is trying to foster a community conversation on the issue.

And well he should.

But the problem defies simple answers.

And the horizon grows bleaker as the enormity of the state's budget woes threatens. The state's inability to adequately finance its schools, long felt in the region's poorer communities, will now hit home in the middle-class districts of the Southland.

No one will escape this storm.

Want to know more?
The State Journal-Register in Springfield breaks down the state's projected deficit, pegged at $11.5 billion next year.

Dennis Robaugh can be reached at dennis@southlandsavvy.com