Valley View Board Authorizes Dismissal Of 34 Teachers

BOLINGBROOK, IL — Earlier this month, the Valley View School District Board of Education held a public hearing for reduction in force due to economic necessity and then authorized the honorable dismissal of 34 teachers for the 2026-27 school year.

Several of the teachers also serve as coaches of various sports in the District.

The actions took place at the March 9 board meeting.

The public hearing for the reduction in force was held "due to economic necessity," the board agenda stated.

Several residents spoke out against the dismissals. Resident Ruth Michaelson urged the Board to vote against the resolution at the March 9 meeting.

"I believe we have to be critical of any decision that would impact the loss of our valuable teachers," Michaelson said.

Resident Gerald Buldak also stated his opposition to the reductions.

"The teachers are the ones who are in direct contact with our students. Day in and day out, they are the ones who make these children's futures possible and make them college-ready and life-ready," he said.

A Valley View seventh grader also shared that they were against the dismissal of the teachers.

"I just wanted to say that doing this could have a negative effect on the students who feel like those teachers are their safe person," they said, adding that many of the teachers serve as a safe person to go to when a student is having a problem.

According to Board documents, the honorable dismissals for teachers were authorized "due to decreasing student enrollment and the need to align staffing with current rates of student course selection."

"We all recognize the importance of the people who serve our students every single day. Our staff do matter," Superintendent Keith Wood said during the meeting.

"This economic reality is not treated lightly," Wood added. "However, to maintain our district's financial stability, we are enacting an economically necessary reduction in force...to address declining student enrollment, and rising salary and benefit costs, which has outpaced revenues."

Wood said the District is also reducing 7 percent of administrative staffing, and a 2 percent reduction of certified staffing.

Patch has reached out to the District for comment on the dismissals, and if students will feel any impacts from the reductions.