Story posted Wednesday, March 3, 2010
207 Trying To Ramp Up Revenue
Meanwhile, Five Tenured Teachers Axed
By DWIGHT ESAU Journal & Topics Reporter
As the High School District 207 board of education moved ahead with layoffs of five tenured teachers this week, district staff was proceeding aggressively to find ways to increase revenue by $1.4 million dollars annually.
The revenue actions have been largely pushed into the background amid all the recent controversy over the approved layoffs of 75 certified teachers and about 60 other district employees. The personnel actions are part of a $12 million cost-reduction plan to deal with a projected $19 million deficit in the district's budget for the school year 2010-11.
This week's board action was so largely expected that the Mar. 1 board meeting was one of the quietest in recent weeks. One parent spoke against the layoffs, and there were no large crowds of teachers, parents, or residents at the meeting.
A tenured teacher is one who has four continuous years of full-time service with District 207. The five marked for layoff include three physical education teachers, a librarian, and an applied arts teacher at Maine South and West high schools. The board earlier approved the layoff of 70 non-tenured certified teachers at all three schools.
All of these layoffs are effective at the end of the current 2009-10 school year, unless some or all of them are rescinded by possible negotiations on salary concessions between the teachers union and the board of education. (See related story).
January and February school board meetings were much more lively, due to protests of the layoffs by several hundred students, parents, and residents.
On the revenue front of this issue, two district officials revealed this week that specific implementation of many of seven revenue enhancements that could bring in at least $1.4 million in new revenue annually has begun.
"We have been conservative in several revenue areas previously, but now we are becoming much more aggressive," said Superintendent Ken Wallace.
The district initially said it hoped to add revenues totaling $2 million. But specific research revealed a maximum possibility of $1.4 million, officials say.
Here's a listing of the seven new revenue initiatives, and their status as of this week:
* Expansion of advertising, such as signage at sports events and all-school functions, and sponsorships of student activities and publications. Some of this is already done, especially at Maine West High School, but there is no estimate yet of projected revenues that are possible in the future at all schools.
* Move investment portfolios from short term to long term, for a possible $792,000 annual increase in revenue. "We are already starting this with our most recent semi-annual investment report and maturities," said Mary Kalou, assistant superintendent for business. "We should start seeing initial results of this by this fall. Short-term rates are now averaging .5%, and we can probably get longer term rates as high as 3%."
* A $60 annual activity fee for all students has been established for next school year. It will permit students to engage in as many activities as they wish, and is expected to raise $315,000 in revenue annually, Kalou said.
* The district is also starting to collect tuition payments for students who live in tax increment financing (TIF) districts in Park Ridge. This is expected to raise $165,000 in additional revenue. "This is permitted in our TIF agreement with the City of Park Ridge," said Wallace. "We haven't done this yet, but we are starting to now."
* Building rental rates to users of facilities in the three high schools have been increased as of July 1, projected to bring in an additional $100,000.
* Passing along the transportation charges for field trips to students should raise an additional $65,000 annually, officials say. This will start next school year.
* Modify free parking passes to Gold Card students at Maine East and West, to leave a discount in place for deserving students, but raise an additional $10,000 in revenue, Kalou said.
"All of these seven will bring in new revenue, so we need to find a way to increase existing revenue levels by more than $500,000, to meet our goal of $2 million in revenue enhancements," said Kalou.
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