UPDATE: Mokena 159 Will Cut Teachers, Staff, Extracurriculars for 2011-2012 School Year

Seven teachers are not expected to return to Mokena School District 159 in the fall after the district’s board of education voted Wednesday night to eliminate their positions in an effort to reduce a $2.7 million deficit. According to an email from Business Manager Barbara Germany, reductions in teaching staff will save the district around $329,912.

In addition, a number of other staff positions will be eliminated, as will most extracurricular activities, for the 2011-2012 school year.

The motion passed 5-1. Board President Tim King, who attended via speakerphone, voted against it. Board member Denise Falbo was absent.

"It's hard letting go of these young teachers, who are innovative and bright," board Vice President Kathy Moore said. "We're trying to lay out a plan and it's not easy."

Reductions in staff include:

• Three learning center aides
• Two computer aides
• Response to Intervention (RtI) coordinator
• Reduction of two 12-month secretaries to 11 months
• Substitute caller 
• Volunteer coordinator
• Mokena Intermediate School nurse

 Moore said this plan would allow the school to keep the Early Start preschool program for another year until the outcome of the competitive bidding process is known. The plan will also reduce PE and music programs at the schools. Early Start will cost the district around $71,000 next year, according to documents obtained by Mokena Patch.

In addition, the Mokena Elementary School assistant principal will be reassigned to a classroom and two secretaries will be reduced from 12 months to 11 months.

Savings are detailed here:

The board also voted to eliminate most extracurricular activities for the 2011-2012 school year; the ones spared are support services for students. That could save the district around $200,000, according to Germany's email,  but is "a difficult number to target when it is unknown which programs will be offered and bus fees, referee fees, etc."

Member Tony Bruozas suggested a system similar to high school hockey clubs, in which parents fund the extracurriculars themselves. Supt. Karen Perry said she has been speaking with area organizations in an effort to work out a way of maintaining sports and other extracurriculars. The motion passed 6-0.

The board also voted to increase lunch fees next year from $2 per student to $2.50. Adults would pay $3 instead of $2.50. The board also voted to raise registration, milk and other fees, detailed here:

Kindergarten

Grades 1-3

Grades 4-8

Current Fees

Registration

$100

$145

$145

Milk

$40

N/A

N/A

Technology

N/A

$35

$35

Locker Rental

N/A

N/A

$15

Total

$140

$180

$195

Recommended 2011-2012 Fees

Registration

$128

$181

$184

Milk

$40

N/A

N/A

Technology

N/A

$35

$35

Locker Rental

N/A

N/A

$15

Total

$168

$216

$234

Raising the fees could generate as much as $120,000 in revenue for the district.

The board moved to recommend reinstating several programs if a third referendum should pass in April, including:

• Return class sizes to 2011-2012 levels and trend toward further class size reductions.
• Bring back full-day kindergarten.
• Bring back Early Start (if eliminated). Early Start, the district's preschool program, might not return because the grant the district receives to run it will become competitive next year.
• Reduce or eliminate busing fees implemented in January for the 2011-2012 school year. The board voted recently to charge $200 per student for busing services.
• Reinstate extracurricular activities.
• Reinstate 12-month secretaries from 11 months.
• Reinstate assistant principal position.
• Reinstate learning center coordinators.
• Reinstate volunteer coordinator.

The original motion included reinstating the RtI coordinator, but board member Frank Ventura moved, with the board's approval, that the position be removed, since it was a two-year position and funded by a federal grant.

Though the reductions were only decided on Wednesday, residents said they noticed neighbors' attitudes toward the schools changing in light of increasing class sizes and cuts to extracurriculars. One parent who declined to give her name said she had heard a lot of people saying they want to move to Frankfort or New Lenox.

Parent Renee Gorski said she moved to Mokena for the schools, but now her neighbors are talking about sending their children to St. Mary or even moving to Indiana.

"If we start losing all these things, I feel like, why would I move to Mokena when I could move Frankfort or New Lenox?" she said during public comment.

"I hope to God the referendum passes so we can bring these people back," Perry said after the meeting.

Check back with Mokena Patch for updates to this story.

Editor's note: The board of education voted Wednesday night to eliminate seven teaching positions. This article originally misstated the number of teaching positions eliminated.