A public hearing over Wheaton Warrenville School District 200’s latest budget drew some unpleasant comments from residents, who questioned some recent administrator raises.
The 2010-11 budget features about $146 million in revenue and $145 million in expenses — a balance that was achieved through staff cuts, changes to programs, renegotiating of contracts, raised fees and frozen teacher salaries.
It is expected to be approved in September by the school board.
During last week’s meeting, local residents questioned why, when teacher jobs were in question and parents are being hit with increased student fees, some administrators are seeing a 6 percent salary increase just as they near retirement.
“I was hoping this board, with an average of six years or longer, realized that the poor choices they made in the past is the main reason why we are in this position and that they would change course,” resident Mary Ann Vitone said in statement to the board. “But the recently negotiated contracts has proven once again how out of touch this board is with the economic times facing this community.”
At the start of the meeting, Bill Farley, assistant superintendent for business operations, introduced some additional changes following a change in state aid, which include an $800,000 loss in regular and vocational transportation funding and $307,000 loss from the reading improvement grant.
He added that general state aid is down about $1 million from last year.
In order to offset these recent changes, supply budgets were reduced, maintenance repairs were cut back and some bus routes were eliminated – a total cost savings of about $268,000.
Dues and fees were also increased, bringing in $33,000 in additional revenue.
He added that there will still be a surplus, but it has been pared down because of the recent changes.
“This is what has happened to date,” Farley said. “We are still monitoring it; there is some uncertainty.”
Still, regardless of the state budget crisis, resident Jean Ives said officials need to take responsibility for the district’s own financial situation.
She said the board wants the public to think it is simply a victim of today’s economy But she said it was obvious five years ago that spending habits needed to change in order to prevent the district from running out of money.
Giving some teachers and administrators 6 percent pay increases, when the board claims to be freezing salaries, is also another example of officials lying to taxpayers and breaking their trust, Ives said.
“While homeowners struggle to do more with less, you actually do less with more,” she said.
Board President Andy Johnson later responded that although some administrators and teachers did receive a 6 percent pay bump, it was in response to an existing contract that the district was legally obligated to meet.
And moving forward, those types of stipulations will likely not exist in future contracts, he said. Others also are either under a salary freeze, or took a pay cut, Johnson said.
“It’s for a small handful of teachers and administrators that had the provisions as part of their contracts,” he said
Johnson added that the district does not look at the state’s budget crisis as an excuse to explain its own finances, rather a result of needing to cut expenditures and increase revenue to achieve a balance.
Any fee increases placed on parents are also carefully examined to ensure the burden isn’t being placed on one part of the district population, he said.
