Crystal Lake District 47 could reduce staff amid budget pressures, uncertainty over federal funding

Crystal Lake School District 47 is contemplating possible staff reductions for the next school year in order to stay within budget after agreeing to salary increases in a teacher contract signed last year.

A letter by Superintendent Kathy Hinz sent to district staff last week, which has been circulated on social media, alluded to the teacher union contract that was passed in October and the possibility of the loss of federal funding as stressors to the district’s finances.

“While there is uncertainty around federal and state funding moving forward, there are key factors we know will have impact on the future of our organization. One of these factors is the salary increases in contractual agreements have on our budget,” Hinz said in the letter. “These increases have been growing at a rate that exceeds the percentage of tax revenue the district receives, which is tied to the Consumer Price Index with a ceiling of 5% Illinois Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.”

The district agreed in a contract with the Crystal Lake Elementary Teachers Association to provide “new money added to the salary schedule totaling at least 19.5% over the next four years.”

District 47’s school board agreed to levy $90.75 million in November. About $69.5 million is budgeted for educational purposes, according to district documents.

In order to bridge the budget gap, about 30 staff positions could be “reduced” or “transitioned into new positions,” according to the letter.

“Some open positions will not be filled due to attrition,” Hinz said in the letter. “Our goal is to help those impacted find new roles within the district where they can continue to grow and remain a valued part of our team.”

It is unclear what positions will be affected and how much cost savings there will be. Staffing is the largest portion of the district’s budget, Hinz said in the letter.

The district may also reduce resources, stating that “several apps not directly aligned with our curriculum will be discontinued” starting the next school year, according to the letter.

Hinz sent another letter to District 47 families Monday to address rumors that started to spread online. Elementary band and Extended Curriculum programs will not be eliminated, but staff reductions are planned for both, she said in the letter.

The district said more details will be released once conversations with affected staff to reassign roles take place.

“These individual conversations take time, and out of respect for those involved, we did not share details with the entire staff in the communication but will provide more details once those individual conversations have taken place,” Hinz said in the letter to families. “Once all conversations have occurred, we will provide a broader update.”

Members of CLETA declined to comment.

The district went through a tough teacher contact negotiation period last year, and the union took some initial steps toward a strike before settling on a new contract after the school year began.

A school board meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday.