The D203 Board of Education has begun the process of eliminating approximately 97 positions from district schools, seven of them being administration positions.
A projected $12.4 million deficit in the district’s budget with a simultaneous drop in enrollment and increase in staff is driving the cuts.
Some stakeholders at the meeting last Monday were concerned that cuts would increase class sizes and decrease the number of teachers who could cater to specific students’ needs.
Kelly Scotti, a 20-year employee at Beebe Elementary, explained why having more teachers is beneficial to giving diverse students the specialized education they need.
“Our greatest desire is to maintain our current trajectory [increase of students’ test scores.] […] We need all hands on deck, small class sizes and appropriately placed assistance for optimal differential learning opportunities,” Scotti said.
According to the Board Document from May 2nd, from the 2013-2014 school year to the present school year, D203 has had a net decline of 875 students. This coupled with the increase of staff over 10-plus years has added to the deficit. The decrease in student enrollment differs at each level. At the elementary level, the board “… project[s] a decrease of 135 students for the 2026-2027 year, a trend expected to continue through 2029.” At the middle school level, the board states that “While enrollment is stable or slightly increasing at specific sites due to program shifts, overall staffing will be reduced through optimization.” The High School level has “seen the most dramatic enrollment decline, with 1,000 fewer students than in 2013-2014.”
District 203 has been predicting enrollment declines since at least 2015.
The board suggested “reducing” seven administrative positions and 90 certified educator positions throughout the district. The plan is displayed in the graphic below.
While the Board mentions that the reduction of “positions” does not directly equate to actual people being cut, Naperville North Principal Jay Wachtel said the two numbers roughly align.
In the meeting, Board Member Melissa Kelley Black found that the cuts are due to decisions that administrators and board members have made in the past, decisions that could have been avoided.
“Our district adopted a budget with a $23 million deficit, and we are now being told there is an additional projected $12 million structural shortfall. This is not an accident; this is the result of decisions. For years, budgets that exceeded revenue were recommended by the superintendent and approved by the board…” Kelley Black said.
The board intends to vote on the cuts during a board meeting on Monday, March 16. By 4 p.m. Friday they plan to send out reduction in force (RIF’s), which are public notices to those who are not guaranteed a job next school year. They will be published in board documents.
D203 Board President Charles Cush commended the administration for a thoughtful budget-cutting process.
“[I’d like to emphasize] the amount of thinking, effort, and energy that’s going into leaving no stones unturned in terms of […] making sure our kids are getting what they need in the levels that they need it. […] I know that these are not easy things to go through, but the collaboration […] is very commendable,” Cush said.
