Despite its best efforts to reduce costs, the District 153 school board agreed, at its Monday, April 7, meeting, to cut positions through a reduction in force (RIF) process.
One full-time and one part-time music teacher and 17 paraprofessionals working in classrooms at Willow, Churchill and James Hart Schools will be cut, although Superintendent Scott McAlister hopes that some of them will be called back.
“This is tough, not anything any of us signed up for,” said board member Ron Zinnerman. “We don’t have diverse revenue streams,” and he noted inflation is reducing the district’s purchasing power.
The cuts are being made after consultations with the teachers‘ union. Class sizes will not increase.
McAlister said he recognizes people will ask how this could happen since the community approved a 2022 referendum raising new revenue and homeowners have been hit with high property tax increases. McAlister did his best to explain that both of those raised revenue and have helped, but not as much as the district expected.
For example, the referendum was expected to bring in an additional $4 million annually, but because of how the wording of the referendum tied funding to a dropping equalized assessed valuation of property, District 153 got about half of that amount.
The district was able to right that number through legislation with help from Rep. Will Davis, D-Homewood, but McAlister said the district’s surplus is dropping into the negative range again. The way Cook County collects taxes, the first installment had a very low number, but when the legislative change was approved and properties were reassessed, the district showed a surplus of $2.4 million in 2024-25.
“It’s a big jump because all that money came in,” McAlister said. But now the district will be bringing in less money. “I know that sounds strange to people,” he said, and he and the board have been trying to figure out why that’s happening. He said “it’s a cash flow and a timing issue.”
For the 2025-26 school year, the district is projecting a $1.3 million deficit that is expected to grow to $2.3 million in 2026-27.
With salaries making up three-quarters of the district’s expenses, the board found it had to consider eliminating positions.
McAlister said he made a promise before the referendum passed that the district would “use tax dollars wisely” and the cuts are the district’s attempts to do that. Costs are climbing in transportation and special education. McAlister said the school board and teachers approved a new contract in 2024 in an effort to keep salaries competitive. For the coming school year, the district is expecting a 24% increase for insurance costs.
Buildings are aging and repairs are necessary. A new roof at Willow School this summer will cost about $2 million. The cost was $1.8 million for a new roof at Churchill in 2024.
“Our administration looked at every opportunity to reduce expenses,” board member Alex Bosch said, including comparing costs of staff versus contract employees.
The district’s budget is online and has been discussed at past board meetings over the last nine months, said School Board President Shelly Marks.
“We looked at absolutely everything we spend money on,” Marks said, emphasizing that the steps being taken will keep cuts “as far away from our educational programs as we possibly can.”
Zinnerman said the district can’t rely on additional funding from federal or state sources. Board members went through every possible option – from custodial to food service, to lawn care – trying to find ways to save money.
“I personally, I know this isn’t anything that we take lightly, but I‘m personally committed to insuring this district continues to be best in class,” Zinnerman said, adding, “The price of doing business in education has gone up.”