Education Matters US

District 95 needs a business approach July 9th

If in 2007, General Motors had produced fewer cars than in 2002, stockholders would expect changes to be made.

They would expect fewer employees and along with that, fewer managers. It would not be unexpected if salaries and hiring were frozen. Ways would be found to cut costs. All of these approaches to dealing with lower production would be considered prudent and commonsensical.

But in the parallel universe that is the public school system in Illinois, the exact opposite happens. Lesser output requires more employees, more managers for those employees, higher salaries for employees and a 43 percent increase in overall costs. Obviously, common sense and fiscal restraint tied to production is not something you see in the public school system.

The specific school district I am talking about is Lake Zurich District 95, though I am sure it is not the only one. According to its 2002 financial statements District 95 had 6,429 students. This compares to its current Web site that states an enrollment of 6,424 students. In other words lower production in 2007 than in 2002.

But if we check the District 95 budgets for that time period, we can see that the Education Fund (basically teacher salaries and benefits) has gone from $38.4 million in 2002 to $54.8 million in 2007 — an increase of 43 percent.

In addition, the number of teachers and administrators went from 463 to 536 — an increase of 73 teachers for fewer students.

And they didn’t stop there; the number of administrators or managers for this lower production went up an amazing 63 percent, from 19 to 32. Also for fewer students, there were these important curriculum upgrades: more art teachers, more music teachers, more psychologists and more physical education teachers.

And in yet another sign of fiscal restraint, the number of employees making over $100,000 per year increased 150 percent, from 7 to 18. And according to the teachers union, even more money is needed for fewer students.

I know this because the union representative from District 95, Sandra Edwards, wrote a letter to the Herald (Fence Post, May 16) criticizing state politicians for not increasing taxes for more school funding.

Apparently it is the teacher union’s position that 43 percent more spending for less output is not enough. If General Motors did that, it would be bankrupt. But in Illinois, the ones going bankrupt are the taxpayers.

And there is another issue with the 2002 student enrollment count. That was the year of the education fund referendum that barely passed with a 17-vote majority. One of the biggest selling points for the referendum was the union and administrators’ projection of future student enrollment from 2002 to 2007.

The number they magically came up with was 7,806 students in 2007, an estimate that turned out to be 1,400 students, or 22 percent, too high. The enrollment projections were exaggerated and the referendum passed — barely. My, my, what a coincidence. Vote “no” on every referendum until education spending it is put under control. Otherwise be prepared to join GM in bankruptcy.

Bill Zettler

Mundelein

Right diagnosis for school funding woes July 12

Mr. Zettler, in his letter of July 9, was absolutely correct about the lack of common sense and fiscal restraint in the public school system.

He cited Lake Zurich District 95, but it is also true of Warren Township High School District 121, and as he says, this probably applies to many other school districts in Illinois. It is not due to school funding by the state, but mainly due to the sacrosanct teachers unions, which intimidate our politicians, both nationally and locally.

The school district of Washington, D.C., has the third highest expenditure of funds per student annually, almost $13,000, but one of the lowest scores in the nation in various testing areas for its students.

With Warren, the school board recently granted raises to 11 administrators which will put each of their salaries over $100,000 for the next academic year, according to the Daily Herald. Then it fired the security personnel for the two high schools, and reduced the medical benefits of its 55 school bus drivers, along with freezing their salaries for the next three years.

To compensate for these raises, it increased the activity fees for many of its students. I suspect that the school board will eventually fire the bus drivers, outsourcing the positions to a private firm.

Though I am against strikes by public employees, I feel the bus drivers would be justified in striking at the beginning of the school year, and I would gladly march in their picket line.

Mr. Zettler also compared the operation of a school district to that of a major corporation by citing the differences between the two forms of conducting business. Though corporations on many occasions have requested their employees and the employees’ unions to accept reduced salaries to forego bankruptcy, this will never happen with the teachers’ unions.

The teachers always claim that their primary interest is that of their students. but that is balderdash. It is to protect their positions and their salaries.

A word of advice to voters when considering candidates for school board positions: Never, I repeat, never vote for a candidate who is a former teacher, principal, administrator, or superintendent, as they will only perpetuate the lack of common sense and fiscal restrain which are badly needed on our school boards.

Larry King
Gurnee

Lake Zurich schools hope budget stays in black
They don’t have a crystal ball to consult, but Lake Zurich school officials say the 2007-08 academic year looks promising at least on paper.

The Lake Zurich Unit District 95 school board has approved a $74.7 million tentative budget after several cost reductions, though none were education program-related.

The district projects a nearly $2 million year-end surplus in all funds. But that number will fall significantly because so far no money has been set aside for necessary building repairs that must be done during the year, Superintendent Brian Knutson said.

Roughly $1.7 million in improvements, which include urgent repairs and life-safety work, must be completed by June 2008.

Yet, this budget is a step in the right direction for a district that has been trying to reverse a deficit-spending trend, officials say.

District administration accomplished some of that last year with nearly $2 million in staffing and program cuts, school board President Kathy Brown said.

“The revenue side can be a little bit more inconsistent, but we have control over the expenses,” Brown said. “And that’s what we asked the administration to do.”

Account books for the 2006-07 school year haven’t been closed yet, but indications are the district will come in slightly under budget on expenses and over anticipated revenues, Knutson said.

“I think we’re going to easily have a surplus but I don’t want to give an amount,” he said.

The district’s budget committee is not done studying the list of cost reductions for this year. That includes cutting expenses such as food at district meetings, reduction of staff due to declining enrollment, high school activity buses, and reducing summer hours for secretaries and the high school guidance office.

“The administration has done a really good job of cost control while staying as far away from the classroom as possible,” Brown said. “This is a great start, but one year doesn’t make history. Maybe for a year we won the battle but we haven’t won the war.”

The budget committee will revisit the recommended cuts in coming weeks to see what can be put back into the budget. The committee will present a final budget to the school board Aug. 2, with a final vote expected Sept. 27.