SCHOOL DISTRICT FACES ADDITIONAL CUTS

By Kelsey Watson

Teachers and staff members of the Monmouth-Roseville Community Unit School District could be losing their jobs next year due to another Deficit Reduction Plan,  Central Intermediate School, Harding Primary School, Lincoln Early Childhood School, Monmouth-Roseville Junior High School, and Monmouth-Roseville High School are the five schools that make up District #238, and are all in jeopardy of a reduction in teaching staff depending on how the Deficit Reduction Plan pans out a few months from now.

 Because the school district’s revenue is smaller than the district’s expenditures, a Deficit Reduction Plan along with an FY13 Budget was outlined in a recent school board meeting for Monmouth-Roseville.  The Tentative Budget Proposal packet distributed at the meeting reveals that  “the state is not meeting its obligation to our school district,” and is causing the plan to be put into full force.

 Ed Fletcher, the superintendent of the Monmouth-Roseville School District, has been working with the district for three years now and says that this is not the first time the school has filed for the Deficit Reduction Plan—the school also filed for a Deficit Reduction Plan back in 2008.  “We are required by the Illinois State Board of Education to complete the plan.  The reason that we have to file for the Deficit Reduction Plan is because the state of Illinois has prorated the amount of revenue they are constitutionally required to provide to school districts from 100% full funding to 89% of funding,” stated Fletcher.  “We are supposed to receive $6,119 per pupil in our district, but due to proration we will only receive $5,446 per student.”  According to the Monmouth-Roseville superintendent, the total loss of income for the school district is approximated at around $500,000. 

When asked what can be done in the future to avoid filing for the deficit plan again, Fletcher replied with, “There is only so much we can reduce to cut expenses, but we will do everything in our power to provide a quality education for our students.”  The Monmouth-Roseville School District is very concerned with their student’s educations, and even though the district had to result in filing for the plan, they are continuing to look forward and hoping for the best.  The plan will hopefully open more eyes to teachers, staff, the school board, and parents of children who attend schools in the district that they need to help and volunteer in all ways that are possible.  The Board of Education will be holding meetings for the next month to discuss with the District Administration about meeting the expected requirements for the Deficit Reduction Plan.