Poll: What Should Be Done to Solve the Woodridge Schools' Budget Woes?

To help determine what the community could and couldn't live without, Woodridge Local Schools Superintendent Walter Davis created an online, 24-question survey and asked folks to contribute their opinions.

282 people participated and the results of the survey were discussed at Thursday night's

The following list was culled from the various responses in regard to what should be cut if the need arose:

• Cut athletic funding and institute pay to participate.
• Cut field trips.
• Cut the library budget.
• Cut building use to reduce utilities costs after school hours.
• Cut high school bussing/transportation.
• Cut administrative pay.
• Cut Professional Development (PD) for teachers and staff.
• Cut music programs.
• Cut textbook spending. Rely more heavily on eBooks.

A good deal of emphasis is being placed on what to cut in light of a $10.6 million budget gap that could split open by 2016, according to the district's five-year forecast.

It's the hope of both school administrators and the Woodridge Board of Education that a 6.83-mill emergency levy pass on March 6. The levy would last for five years, generate $15 million in revenue and cost homeowners $209 per year for every $100,000 in valuation.

If the levy doesn't pass, school officials have already begun to devise a plan that would reduce or eliminate expenses.

The proposed list includes:

• Widespread layoffs.
• Across the board cuts to the salary and benefits of all personnel.
• Cutting or eliminating academic and extracurricular services.
• Creating a tuition-based Kindergarten program.
• Consolidating various school services.