By Ashley Badgley

Illinois Statehouse News

SPRINGFIELD — School districts across Illinois are feeling the brunt of the state’s $13 billion budget deficit.

In recent years, school administrators have had to wait for state funding or grants for transportation, special education and childhood education. This year, those problems have only worsened. And they’ve been compounded by layoffs of teachers and other school employees as schools cope with a potential $1.3 billion in cuts to education.

Near the end of a school year, administrators are required by district contracts to finalize their workforce for the upcoming school year.

Administrators give layoff notices to teachers and staff members in the spring, then wait for more reimbursement to come from the state, and then rehire in the fall. Oftentimes, they hire the teachers they previously laid off.

Ray Bergles, superintendent of Silvis School District 34 near the Quad-Cities, said the process of hiring and laying off teachers is stressful for both the teachers and the district. As of now, the district has 650 students, 45 teachers and 45 non-certified staff.

“There is a state of limbo,” Bergles said. “Anyone who doesn’t know whether they’re going to have a job next year, that has to affect you mentally, emotionally, so it’s not a good situation.”

Some teachers may be hired back, but their pay will be cut and they may lose some benefits, he said.

Norm Durflinger serves as superintendent of Peoria School District 150, which handles 14,000 students along with 1,200 teachers and 3,000 staff members.

Durflinger said the district laid off 290 employees last week and may lay off between 200 and 400 staff members before the coming school year.

Only half of those laid off would be rehired if the district can afford it.

Durflinger said he worries students will not get enough individual attention without as many teachers in the schools.

“The bottom line is the individual, as much individual attention as we can give to students, is going to be decreased and that always affects learning,” Durflinger said.

Near Rockford, Harlem School District 122 has had to lay off about 90 teachers so far this year, school board president Sandi Johnson said.

The district planned for cuts, Johnson said, but in a district with 8,000 students, fewer teachers will be a challenge.

The only silver lining Johnson sees is the statewide school cuts will bring more attention to the  needs of school districts.

“What I am hoping is that the impact it will have will be statewide, and it will maybe open people’s eyes up about what’s happening at the state level,” Johnson said.

Layoffs and further cuts are expected to continue for school districts across the state into the upcoming school year. Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed a 33 percent increase in the state’s income tax to defray education cuts, but many political observers doubt a tax increase will occur before the November general election.