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WRIGHT TWP. — Faced with a preliminary 2018-19 budget deficit of $2.7 million, the Crestwood School Board announced plans Thursday night to furlough 13 personnel, 11 of whom are teachers while the other two include a teacher’s aide and a guidance counselor.
Superintendent Joseph Gorham announced the board’s decision while at the same time disclosing a “Grade Banding Program” that will consolidate elementary and intermediate students in classes in 2018-19 at the Fairview and Rice schools.
Gorham said grades K through 6 will be involved, with the student population to number 755 at Fairview and 752 at Rice.
The banding plan is also intended to cut costs, Gorham said. And of the personnel who may face layoffs, eight are from the elementary grades and five from the secondary level.
Overall, Gorham said the board estimates the savings in salary will be over $500,000.
The proposals met with an angry response from more than 100 citizens who packed the high school library. They contended the board’s plan would impact the quality of education at Crestwood. In addition, the protesters spoke out against the board’s plan to move forward with a $3.5 million project to construct a new fieldhouse at the athletic complex behind the secondary campus.
They argued the money could be better spent on education and other scholastic programs.
Besides the deficit, the other part of the preliminary budget divulged at the meeting is that it contains a proposal to increase real estate taxes by 3.2 percent.
In response to the critics, board president Bill Jones said financing for the fieldhouse is secured through a bond issue rather than direct spending from the district’s general fund. Jones added: “The board takes very seriously your concerns. But the matter is we need the state to give us more money in reimbursement and the state doesn’t want to give us more.”
With the layoffs, Crestwood officials listed the preliminary budget at $38.7 million, a situation that could lead to taxes increasing to 10.1632 mills. Al Melone, director of finance, said the board will continue budget deliberations through May. A balanced budget is required to be submitted to the state Department of Education by June 30.