Leadership Matters - May 2013

Message from the Executive Director: Survey shows school districts hurting

By Dr. Brent Clark

Your responses to our recent budget cut survey provided us with some valuable information regarding the situation superintendents are facing across the state. Extrapolating the results from the 168 responses we received (a +/- 6.5% statistical margin of error), the state’s budget cuts to General State Aid and Transportation, if they stand as proposed, will result in as many as 4,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions being cut by school districts in Illinois. This would be in addition to staff cuts districts already have imposed the past few years as state funding and local revenues have shrunk to historic proportions. IASA is extending an invitation for regions to come to Springfield on May 15 for what we are calling “Education Impact Day” to talk with legislators about increasing funding for public education. The Southwestern and Wabash Valley Regions are scheduled to be at the capitol. For more information, please click here . Unfunded mandates are causing additional fiscal pain and an inordinate amount of paperwork as well as hamstringing the ability for school leaders to make local decisions that are in the best interests of their students. “It is our strong belief that the decisions on how to provide the best educational opportunities in this economic environment require flexibility and should be made at the local level taking into account the unique situations and needs in communities .” The survey indicated that the Special Education mandates are costing school districts as much as $180 million (an average of more than $241,000 per district) more than they are receiving to implement the Special Education mandates. That’s one reason we were happy that State Superintendent Dr. Chris Koch proposed rules changes that would provide flexibility at the local level to determine what appropriate class size and ratios should be. We are hopeful that ISBE will approve those recommendations by Dr. Koch, who has an

extensive background as a special education administrator, despite heavy opposition to the proposed changes. We believe those recommendations would help provide better educational opportunities for all students, including special education students. The survey indicated that statewide the Physical Education mandates are costing up to $70 million, an average of more than $88,000. The Certified School Nurse mandate – another unfunded mandate for which Dr. Koch has proposed some relief – would cost up to $35 million, or more than $44,000 per district. The cost for Driver’s Education was about $34 million statewide. Add those mandates up and we’re talking about some $320 million, or an average of more than $400,000 per school district – and those are just a few of the more than 100 unfunded mandates for school districts in Illinois. Combine that with the previously mentioned cuts to GSA and Transportation and you can see why school districts across the state are looking at major layoffs and cuts to programs. At a time when state funding is being cut so dramatically, it would seem to make sense to offer school districts relief from some of these mandates. That wouldn’t cost the state any money. It is our strong belief that the decisions on how to provide the best educational opportunities in this economic environment require flexibility and should be made at the local level taking into account the unique situations and needs in communities.

3