JUN 25, 2013 Budget cuts roil local schools hph2012 / Front Page / 0 Comments By DASCHELL M. PHILLIPS Staff Writer Public schools in Hyde Park held community meetings last week to discuss their sharply reduced preliminary budgets for the 2013-2014 school year. An all-schools meeting was also held by the parent group Raise Your Hand for Illinois Education. The group is demanding that Mayor Rahm Emanuel return tax increment financing district (TIF) money to Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Principals have been given greater responsibility over spending at their schools and were careful to show the community the financial constraints they were working under for next school year; a tight budget that will lead to teacher and program cuts. The budget at Bret Harte, 1556 E. 56th St., was cut by $100,000; Murray’s budget, 5335 S. Kenwood Ave., was cut by $200,000; Ray’s, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave., was cut by $400,000; Reavis’, 834 E. 50th St., was cut by $350,000; Kozminski’s, 936 E. 54th St., was cut by $250,000 and Kenwood Academy High School’s, 5015 S. Blackstone Ave., was cut by $1.7 million. In addition to the cuts both Ray and Bret Harte have to stretch their smaller budgets even further to accommodate their newly added 7th grade classes, part of a phase-out of Canter Middle School, 4959 S. Blackstone Ave. At their respective meetings, principals from both schools went line-by-line explaining how the cuts would affect the next school year. Expenses such as principal, clerk, special education teacher and counselor salaries were deducted from the amount given to each school so the principal was left to work with the balance. Teachers’ salaries, a portion of substitute salaries and janitorial supplies such as wax, tissue and mop heads all must come from each school’s budget, which for some schools have been cut by up to 50 percent. Reference: Available upon request. Reporting Agent -Dr.A*
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 01:12:05 +0000
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