MVTHS to make personnel cuts

By RORYE O’CONNOR

rorye.oconnor@register-news.com

MT. VERNON — Mt. Vernon Township High School is preparing to take action on the honorable dismissal of six non-tenured teachers to cover the non-payment of nearly $1 million from the state in regular state aid.

The MVTHS Board will take action Monday on the recommendation to honorably dismiss six teachers based on economic reasons. The positions examined for dismissal are Rebecca Reyling, who holds a part time library position and a part time French position; a cross-categorical special education teacher; a social worker; an English teacher; an art teacher; and a music teacher.

The board is required to notify non-tenured staff 45 days before their position is dismissed, and must inform tenured teachers 60 days in advance.

MVTHS Superintendent Dr. Michael Smith said he recently met with representatives from the House and Senate Board Appropriations Committee, and they told him that the state plans to cut a minimum of $1 billion from public education.

This action will essentially take the aid received by MVTHS back to the same level it was receiving in 2006, including a $500,000 loss from general state aid as well as the loss of half of the funding from special education and transportation, Smith said.

“It’s a shame that the state of Illinois is in the state it’s in,” he said. “It’s not just this district but across the state.”

The board is forced to make personnel cuts because more than 80 percent of the MVTHS budget is for staff salaries and insurance, Smith said.

“If we cut every single other thing, that 80 plus percent would still exist,” he said. “We can cut supplies by about $12,000-$15,000, but in a $15 million budget, it’s only in people and programs that you can close that kind of a gap.”

The school district cannot complete additional borrowing without approaching voters until 2016, Smith said, but it is possible for them to borrow up to 85 percent of what they are owed in general state aid on a line of credit.

However, he said he anticipates the district will already be needing to use its existing line of credit by the end of April.

He spoke about the difficulty of the decisions that will have to be made in the coming months.

“I don’t want to eliminate anything on this list,” he said. “It is not in children’s best interest.”

Along with the proposed staff reductions, the board’s plan includes a $75,000 reduction in materials and a $50,000 reduction in regular extra expenses by the end of the year, Smith said, as well as cutting the amount of away athletic events, re-bidding of teacher insurance and gas and electric services to the school. Also on the chopping block are administrative costs, field trips and secretarial and custodial staff, Smith said.

During the meeting, which saw a large attendance from students and community concerned about the loss of staff, the board examined the recently-created master schedule to determine that another position, that of guidance counselor Sarah Watts, would not need to be dismissed.

“Based on additional information and scheduling, we were able to arrive at other options to keep the crucial position of the freshman academy guidance counselor,” Smith said.

Several students and parents spoke on behalf of Watts and other teachers at MVTHS.

Freshman Summer Karch said the counselor was there for her any time she needed to talk, even about personal issues.

“If she is gone, then we will have to reconnect with new counselors,” she said. “Our school has 1,325 students so that would be about 441 students to a counselor.”

Junior Jonathan Dodd said he had a hard time his freshman year, but Watts helped him have a better outlook his sophomore year.

“Because of Mrs. Watts, my sophomore year I was able to get over all that tension,” he said. “She got through to me that things were going to be all right. She’s the best person for the job and I have full confidence in her.”

Kelsey Richardson, a sophomore, said she and others would be willing to pay for other privileges like parking permits if it would help to keep Watts there.

“She helps me so much, she’s a really good friend to me,” she said. “I know she’s new here, but I don’t think that should matter because she’s a great counselor.”

Junior Ryan Scott spoke on behalf of French teacher Reyling.

“I’m very passionate about French club,” he told the board. “Removing this French class would be very hindering to my career as a student. ...In class we do a great deal of learning about the culture, music, food, and the grammar, which helps us in other classes. If there’s not a next year of French, it will hinder those wanting to continue.”

Watts also spoke to the MVTHS board about her year as a guidance counselor for 350 students in the Freshman Academy.

“I’m in charge of everything about their classes,” she said. “I knew their names before I met them, because of organizing their classes. I handle anything from suicidal thoughts to concerns about a teacher.”

Watts said she attended MVTHS and feels a loyalty to the school.

“I grew up here,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere. I believe I have a lot to offer to this high school. I believe my job would be a wise investment for the high school.”

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