Oswego School District proposed budget cuts include teaching staff reduction, four-day, in-person learning

Oswego School District 308 administrators presented an updated list of potential budget cuts to the district’s Board of Education during a meeting Monday, Jan. 25.

The list totaled $5.7 million and covered six areas of potential reductions: district administration budgets, district administration positions, staff reductions because of declining enrollment, secondary reductions, lessons learned from remote learning and “other.”

The board is expected to take action on the list of potential cuts as a package item at its next meeting, set for Feb. 8.

Superintendent Dr. John Sparlin reminded the board and community that the district has reduced its budget by $14.4 million since 2016 in order to offset a budget deficit.

The district’s current financial state, Sparlin said, is mainly because of a lack of new funds allocated under the state’s Evidence Based Funding formula, in part affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

District 308 Chief Financial Officer Christy Tyler went into more detail on the state of the district’s budget and its five-year projections.

The district’s fiscal 2021 budget was adopted before Sept. 30, when the district was planning to return to in-person learning in November. Projections showed by Tyler at Monday’s meeting include a 1.4% consumer price index, $5 million in reductions in fiscal 2022, flat EBF in fiscal 2022 that returns in fiscal 2023, and additional funding under the federal CARES Act spread between fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023.

Tyler updated the district’s five-year projections to showcase savings under remote learning that have come from substitute teacher costs, PPE supplies, classroom supplies, transportation salaries, and transportation and food service, among other areas. Those savings have reduced the district’s projected deficit of $5.9 million to $1.5 million by the end of fiscal 2021. As a result of the deficit decrease, the district now is projected to have a positive fund balance of $19 million for fiscal 2021 and $39.8 million by fiscal 2026.

Some major highlights of the list include a reduction in force of 27 elementary school teachers because of declining enrollment. A decline in enrollment, while due in part to the pandemic, has been projected previously for the district.

A reduction in elementary teachers, which Sparlin explained can be done without changing class sizes, would save the district a projected $1.89 million.

The district also presented an option of having students in grades six to 12 attend school four days in person with one day of remote learning in the 2021-22 school year, listed under the category of lessons learned from the pandemic.

“During remote learning, we utilized new technology and instructional practices to instruct students,” the presentation read. As the district is moving to a 1:1 technology format for junior high and high school students, they would be able to attend in-person, and have one day of digitally remote learning.

“Students would continue to gain experience with digital and independent learning,” the presentation continued. If approved, the change would save a projected $491,000.

Sparlin also presented options that included ending printed student planners, reducing the need for substitute teachers and offering retirement incentives for eligible staff members.