School Board Cuts 17 Positions

The Plainfield School District 202 board cut the equivalent of 17 full-time elementary certified positions on Monday due to declining enrollment.

The board approved the cuts by a vote of 5-2, with board members Michael Kelly and Eric Gallt voting against the plan.

The eliminated positions, which take effect in the fall, are expected to save about $1.1 million, district spokesman Tom Hernandez said.

The cuts will be across the district’s elementary schools, where enrollment is projected to be down by about 340 students for the 2012-13 school year. Exact building-level staffing is still to be determined based on actual enrollments.

Both middle school and high school enrollment continues to increase districtwide as the children of young families who moved into the Plainfield area during the housing boom grow up, Hernandez said.

Because of the weakened economy and unstable housing market, the Plainfield area has not seen a large influx in families with young children, he said.

Next fall, middle school enrollment is expected to increase by 21 students, while high school enrollment is projected to rise by about 242 students.

The staff cuts are among 361 full-time equivalent positions that have been eliminated since March 2009, as the district attempts to balance its budget while dealing with unstable state funding and high rates of foreclosures during the recession.