UPDATE Monday evening 4.26.2010: The School Board voted this evening to approve all cuts as proposed. At the end of this news release is Superintendent Arndt's status update he presented this evening to summarize the approved cuts and those pending agreement from the employee associations.  Check the Budget webpage after April 30 for a full transcript of tonight's budget discussions. The following is the April 22, 2010, news release outlining the items that the Board voted tonight to approve:

CARPENTERSVILLE - (APRIL 22, 2010) Superintendent Ken Arndt has updated his proposed budget cuts, primarily in the areas of busing for parochial students and Dual Language students.

The cuts are extremely painful but necessary, due to the state's current $11.2 million deficit to District 300 and Governor Quinn's announcement a few weeks ago that education funding will likely be reduced even further in the 2010-2011 school year.  D300 leaders have targeted $15 million in reductions to maintain a balanced budget.

Administration is no longer recommending that Dual Language transportation be eliminated.  Therefore the School Board will not need to vote on the matter this Monday, April 26, as planned. (Scroll down for more details.)

The Board meets at 7:30 p.m. on Monday in the auditorium of Carpentersville Middle School.  The Board will make three votes on Monday, totaling $2,338,000 in potential reductions, as follows:

Vote 1) PAROCHIAL BUSING. Administration is recommending that parochial transportation be restructured by eliminating dedicated routes and running shuttles from middle schools only, for a projected savings of $335,000.  (Scroll down for more details.)  Board approved 4/26/2010.

Vote 2)  Board approved 4/26/2010.

a) "PRESCHOOL FOR ALL" BUSING.  As previously recommended, cut busing for this program for a projected savings of $672,000.  However, if the state resumes (and provides) full funding for this program for at-risk preschool students, Administration will recommend that transportation be restored.

2b)  deLACEY BELL TIMES.  As previously recommended, adjust the bell times for the deLacey Family Education Center, for a projected savings of $140,000.

2c)  ECC PARTNERSHIP.  As previously recommended, cut busing for the Elgin Community College partnership, for a projected savings of $118,000.

2d)  OMBUDSMAN.  As previously recommended, cut busing for the Ombudsman Alternative Education program, for a projected savings of $75,000.

2e)  TECHNOLOGY.  As previously recommended, do not grow the Technology budget, for a projected savings of $457,000.

Vote 3) Board approved 4/26/2010.

a)  LITERACY STAFF:  Administration is recommending a $200,000 cut to District-level literacy staff, rather than the $300,000 figure previously considered. 

3b)  BUILDING BUDGETS:  Administration is recommending that each school cut its building budget by 10 percent, for a projected annual savings of $341,000. 

Also, the Board will be presented with a proposal to reduce some extracurricular programming by 10 percent during the May 10 Board meeting.

MORE DETAIL ON PAROCHIAL PROPOSAL:

The current D300 system is elementary based, with special shuttles running daily between 14 public elementary schools and the five parochial schools within D300 boundaries.  D300 also provides "dedicated" bus routes (meaning routes just for parochial students) midday and after school, to accommodate the parochial schools' bell times, and also on D300 early release days.

Dr. Arndt's original proposal was to eliminate all shuttles and dedicated routes for parochial students, which was projected to save about $416,500 a year.  Parochial students would still have been able to ride on D300 buses, but only on our regular routes at our regular stops, which is all that state law requires.

His updated proposal is to restructure parochial transportation by eliminating dedicated routes and running shuttles from middle schools only.  About six years ago, D300 attempted a middle school based busing system for parochial students.  The students did not always get along well, and the system did not work out.  Dr. Arndt emphasized that D300 leaders will work closely with parochial principals to make this second attempt more successful. 

Under a middle school-based shuttle system, special shuttles will run daily between the five D300 middle schools and the parochial schools, based on middle school attendance boundaries.  (Click here to see the attendance boundary maps.) There would be no dedicated routes at all, either mid-day, afternoon, or on early release days.  Parochial students would ride with D300 middle school students.  The parochial school leaders may need to adjust their bell times to coordinate with the D300 bus schedules. 

D300 leaders stand firmly behind the legality of the original proposal.  The following nearby districts currently operate in this manner, meaning they do not alter their routes or provide special shuttles for parochial students: Elgin U46, Cary 26, Township High School District 214, Kaneland 302, St. Charles 303, Burlington 301, Batavia 101, and Barrington 220.

"D300 has exceeded what the law requires for many years in terms of parochial busing," Dr. Arndt said.  "Our interpretation of the law has not changed. This compromise solution continues to go above and beyond what the law requires but will manage to save D300 about $335,000 a year."

MORE DETAIL ON THE DUAL LANGUAGE UPDATE:

To be able to maintain transportation for the Dual Language program, D300 will make two changes.  First, the program at Gary D. Wright Elementary will move to the Liberty Elementary location, and Liberty will become the long-term program hub for the program district-wide.  This consolidation will save costs.  Second, D300 will sacrifice Title III federal funds that were targeted for a highly effective technology-based literacy program, called Read 180, and instead spend them on Dual Language transportation.

Dual Language is a voluntary program with half the students being native English speakers and half being native Spanish speakers.  The students enter the program in kindergarten and continue together as a class through 5th grade, by which time all students in the program are bilingual.

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