SHAWNEE DISTRICT'S CUTS DO THE JOB

WOLF LAKE, Ill. -- Facility upgrades and other improvements are on the horizon for Shawnee Community School District just one year after the school board authorized reductions in programs and personnel.

Superintendent Dwayne Prater said it appears the school district will meet its $3.2 million budget, although he won't have specific figures until after the fiscal year ends June 30.

"Last year we made substantial cuts that we hoped would put us into a black or balanced budget," he said. "I can't quote exacts, but we will have a balanced budget. We will have achieved our goal."

The district, which serves about 550 students in two elementary schools and one secondary school, underwent numerous changes during the 1997-98 school year to correct some $269,000 in deficit spending that occurred between 1993 and 1997. Prater said the overspending resulted from declining enrollments that had occurred since 1990 and cost increases in salaries, equipment and other essentials that outpaced incoming revenue.

In March 1997, school board members agreed to a list of program and personnel cuts and price increases to prevent the school district from dipping further into fund reserves.

The largest reduction of $35,000 was saved when board members elected not to replace a business teacher who resigned. Other savings were made by reducing one full time music teacher's position to part time and a high school art teacher's position to four-sevenths time. The art teacher's position will again be full time for the coming school year.

In addition, an instrumental music program was eliminated at the elementary school level. Prater said this programming cut didn't have widespread effect because sixth-graders -- the majority of participants in the program -- were moved from elementary schools to the high school, where an instrumental music program is offered.

Other cost-saving measures included price increases in meals, book rentals and sports tickets and cutbacks on material purchases.

"This was more efficient because the teacher was travelling 12 to 14 miles to each elementary building," he said. "This allowed us to be looking pretty good next year as far as the budget, and with the new state funding coming down we will be able to address some current needs and building needs."

Prater said the state's funding formula was changed to move a larger percentage of state money to rural school systems. Shawnee could receive an annual increase of some $200,000 for the next three years under the new formula.

The expected increases will mean numerous building improvements, Including planned computer labs with Internet access at each building and air conditioning for the high school. Had the school district not taken a year to correct its deficit-spending pattern, that money would have been applied to the deficit rather than the buildings, said Prater.

"This is going to allow us to see to our immediate needs on a two-year plan that we can pay as we go without selling bonds and adding to our indebtedness," he said.