At least 100 residents attended a "Town Meeting" hosted by the District 46 School Board Tuesday to hear the district and union's best and final contract offers, ask questions and voice concerns for what happens next.
"What are we supposed to do when the teachers go on strike?"
"Is it all about money or what's best for my child?"
"What can we do as parents to help?"
These were just a few of the questions raised by parents at the meeting who thanked the board for hosting the forum but also expressed a strong desire for the union to afford the community the same opportunity for dialogue.
D46 Supt. Ellen Correll said she would relay to the union that parents are interested in a meeting of their own, to hear their side, but it would be the union's prerogative to have a sit down with the community.
Final offers
The school board says the ball is in the union's court where contract proposals are concerned, but the district is willing to return to the table for further discussion prior to the Jan. 16 strike date set by the union last month.
"There has got to be some give and take, said Ray Millington, board president. "We are waiting for a response to our proposal. We have left the door open."
Since contract negotiations began last February, there have been 12 sessions between the union and district and four sessions with a federal mediator present.
The last negotiating session was held Nov. 28, at which time both sides presented their best and final offers. There was some give, but no takers. No other sessions have been scheduled.
The district has agreed to a two-year teacher contract, but is holding firm on instituting a salary freeze with no step or lane changes. However, the board has offered to give all certified staff who have not submitted a notice to retire a $1,000 stipend in year two, which would cost the district about $300,000.
Initially, the union proposed a 3 percent salary increase for both contract years.
Teachers now agree to continue working at their current 2011-12 salary schedule for next school year, but they want lane change compensation paid in February 2013, which would cost $200,000, and two salary steps scheduled for Sept. 2013 and March 2014, which would cost $750,000, according to the district.
There is no money to give teachers pay raises, said officials. The budget already has a $1.2 million deficit that will only increase if teacher salaries are increased, said Anna Kasprzyk, chief school business official. The increased tax levy won't relieve the deficit either, she advised. In fact, the district could reach a negative fund balance in 2018.
The union contends teacher salaries are already below average in comparison to other area districts, and that the district can afford to pay raises given the $8.2 million surplus it reported to the Illinois State Board of Education.
According to the board, the district will see a $1.45 million reduction in general state aid compared with 2012, and federal grant revenue is anticipated to decrease by about 25 percent. The board says it has no other sources of revenue to pay teacher salary increases, nor does it have any available long-term borrowing capacity.
What if?
Throughout the meeting, parents voiced their concerns, frustrated that they could not have such a dialogue with the union.
"I fully support teachers. The vast majority are excellent," said one parent. "But things are really tight right now. When was the last time teachers did not get a raise?"
This question drew chuckles from the audience. "As far as I know, it's never happened," said Correll.
Other parents asked questions about the fallout from a strike. They questioned whether striking teachers would still be paid, how missed days would be made up, and whether buildings would be open and staffed with non-certified employees.
Striking teachers would not be paid, said the board, and what the district will do about missed days has yet to be determined.
The state's legal minimum requirement for a school year is 176 instructional days. Each day lost and not made up equates to a $34,000-a-day loss of state funds, said Kasprzyk.
In the event of a strike, the board said non-certified staff would not be working either.
Correll said she has reached out to the district's Champions childcare program, which agreed to offer programs from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Meadowview and Prairieview schools for $33 per day, per student, a price some parents balked at.
Some parents also urged the board to make a move and request more talks at the table, once a week until the strike date, if necessary.
"We want to do everything we can to avoid a strike," assured Millington.
The board plans to host a second town meeting on Jan. 9.
Please p;eople if your going to qwork so hard do it accuarately. I suggest you need to talk to the D46 superintendent, the board, and the business manager and not each other. That is not how public accountiing works there is no rainy day fund like this there are ongoing bills all year to pay from property tax distributions that are not every month but only once or twice per year while payments extend for the full year. .
Many of these comments are not how public accounting works which is different than cash flow accountiing in the private sector. There is very limited if any rainy day fund and when a district is in deficit it is not likely there is any rainy day fund that is real at all. There are ongoing bills all year to pay from property tax distributions that are not every month but only once or twice per year while payments extend for the full year the budget may have cash today but it is earmarked and probably spent.
Riddle me this Terri, what is the motivation of the board to lie about the financial status of the district? Do you really, do the teachers really believe that the board is just sitting on piles of money that they don't want to part with? Do you think that the auditors, state, PMA, and administrators of this district are all in cahoots creating spreadsheets and manipulating numbers so that they can withhold funds from the staff? Quite a conspiracy theory you have. I'll ask you again Terri, what would the motive be to withhold funds, hide money, sit on stockpiles of cash, knowing the teachers are completely willing to strike and force the kids out of the school?
Teachers don't lose pay in a strike. The school year gets extended and they still work 190 days with pay.
Someone could show you the money and you'd jump on the wagon to refund it to taxpayers. You're a very bitter person with an axe to grind.
Why won't someone answer the very simple question without assuming there is an axe to grind behind it? I really would like to hear the explanation from anyone who actually knows the answer: What would the motive be to withhold funds, hide money, sit on stockpiles of cash? You have 7 people who can't agree on what color the sky is but they agree to withhold available funds???
The poorest people in this community have the most respect for teachers. They know they care, feed & clothe them because they cannot. They may not have the biggest tax bills, but they get it.
PB&J, you are correct. The new board members back then found ways to cut the waste, save money and restore the programs. It didn't happen immediately, but it happened. The current board (gang of 4 - Millington, Facklam, Surroz, Weinert) appear to not be interested in finding solutions since they killed the Finance Committee and reject nearly every idea that does not come from their side. The gang of 4 have become petty and detrimental to long term quality education of the children in the district.
Let me clarify because you refuse to use reason. Poor or rich doesn't make a difference we all want good teachers, small classs sizes, and art and music. I talk about budgets, the community, the deficit spending, the impact of further debt on both teachers and then later on our children's education aand on class size and potential cutbacks in deficit. Let me be very clear, I have no issues with teachers never have there are three in my home and if we had the money I would support writing the check for all of them everywhere. Terri you seem to attack people for wanting to be reasonable and becuase many of us don't agree that deficit spending is reasonable. A ludicrous strike when this district is broke,,,it isn't an attack on teachers it is just simply nonsense for the D46's future. By the way the teachers can vote to change that. The union is not in charge of the strike they are... Who do I blame - I think we need to look at the union for telling teachers this is a good idea when the economy sucks, & for teachers for not taking the time to think this through & for not trusting D46 Admin or facing the economic reality of the times. Teachers voted to strike & they didn't have to they could settle for reality for now. Sad, unions have a problem because this is what unions are doing across the country to try to prove they have value to their members &it hurts their members and community terribly.
I guess you can join the Hal, Lisa and Lennie club. First, I am not a teacher. I've made that very clear. 2nd, I am single...no husband or wife. So, I'll ask again...what does a good teacher deserve?
No work environment is perfect. But you've indicated it is horrible to work here. I dont believe most share your sentiment. However, if there are those who do, may I suggest seeking employment elsewhere? There is a class from SIU that graduated last weekend and are now seeking employment, I am sure most of them could tolerate working here.
The teachers do love working in district 46. They love working with students and their parents. It is the school board and their lack of professionalism and policies that do ultimately effect the teachers. (there was a board member last year who wanted to investigate every teacher's absence on a particular day!) There are a lot of issues, many unknown to the public, that do not occur in any other district that I know of... This is not all a case of terrible unions, there are some legitimate issues with this board. And of course teachers are not going to speak ill publicly about the board.
However today the politics here in D46, and nationally, has been to attack people you don't agree with personally and often. Do it harder especially when you don't have a valid argument. Teachers are not the issue D46, deficit spending, future cuts that I am certain will come later and will certainly impact our children to make up for any strike outcomes and costs. Yes the union might win while at the same time the children, the teachers and the community and D46 don’t. These costs are real and there is no district long term credit card. My view is simple the district should not deficit spend and the teachers can choose not to go on strike and face reality.