District 197 School Board's Agenda: Budget Cuts, Referendum and Advertising

The District 197 School Board will be meeting tonight, April 4 at 7 p.m., to decide on what budget cutting measures they will pursue for the 20110-2012 school year, and are expected to official move forward with plans for another in the fall.

A public comment period opens at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in council chambers at

Adoption of a policy to allow approved advertising in the schools is also on the agenda. The policy received first and second readings in 2009, and has been resurrected following a discussion of advertising revenue at the last board meeting.

At their last work session in March, the board determined that reaching the $2.4 million in cuts they originally directed administration to find will be unlikely.

Superintendent Jay Haugen is expected to bring forward a package closer to the actual shortfall anticipated for next year, somewhere around $1.4-$1.6 million. The plan will not include a hotly contested co-location of and Friendly Hills Middle School for next year.

According to feedback gathered by the district through online forums and through community meetings, the most support lays with traditional cuts that will raise class sizes by one and cut support staff, according to Communications Director Susan Brott.

Public support was evenly split for a plan that would transition the high school to a six-period day, redesign the middle schools, and create multi-grade learning opportunities in the elementary schools to reduce staff sizes and incorporate specialists into everyday learning.

Tonight's choices will most likely incorporate elements from each of the presented in March.