Elmhurst D-205 Holds Line On Staffing: Officials

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205's budget for this year reduces the number of positions, a development welcomed by at least one board member.

The district is down seven full-time positions among certified employees and four positions overall, officials said.

This is the result of the district's focus on not increasing staffing levels, Chris Whelton, assistant superintendent of finance, told the school board Tuesday.

Board member Jim Collins expressed approval of the trend, given that personnel is the biggest expense.

"Over the last 10 years, we have increased certified staff by about 100 staff members, while our student population has increased by roughly 50 students," he told Whelton. "So just to reiterate what you always tell us, we do need to keep a careful eye on staffing."

In general, Whelton said the district is performing well financially. Last year's budget surplus of $7 million went into reserves, he said.

This year, the district will dip into those reserves by the same amount for the expanded scope of construction projects, Whelton said. The biggest such project is the replacement of Field Elementary, which is to become a lot larger than originally planned.

Collins said he was fine with the $7 million for the projects.

"I would call that an investment in our community," he said. "It's going to build new schools and renovate existing schools."

Superintendent Keisha Campbell said district officials were "constantly looking at ways in which we are utilizing our resources to best support the needs of our students and ensure that we are providing our students with the best educational experience possible."

At the meeting, another board member described a trend that was working against the district financially.

District 205 serves more than 8,000 students.