Slashes in state education funding have left Nippersink School District 2 with a $279,000 deficit in this year’s budget. The seven board members have been scrutinizing educational programs and staff positions in three schools in an effort to cut the 2003-2004 budget by $600,000.

On March 11 in a closed-session meeting, board committees proposed district-wide staffing and program reductions. The board will vote on these proposed cuts at its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m Tuesday, March 18, at the Nippersink Middle School Library. 

While the meeting is open to the community, public comment is allowed only at the beginning of the meeting, before voting takes place.

According to Superintendent George Zimmer, it is likely that the district will need further reductions for the 2004-2005 school year as well. 

“Next year will probably be worse” in terms of budget cuts, predicted Richmond PTO president Kay Kargul, who has regularly attended board meetings for several years.

In a letter to district parents, Zimmer blamed the district’s financial woes on state funding deficits caused by Illinois’ $4 billion budget shortfall, the tax cap, and the 9/11 tragedy.

“The majority of other McHenry County school districts will experience deficit spending this year,” he wrote.

In the same letter, Zimmer laid out possible targets for reduction. Staff positions listed included everyone from janitors, teachers, and program coordinators to assistant principals. Programs listed for possible cuts included technology; music, chorus and band; K-8 foreign language; K-8 gifted and talented program; Reading Recovery, among others.

In response to Zimmer’s request for feedback, community residents faxed, e-mailed, and phoned their opinions to the district office. On March 4, many braved the season’s worst snowstorm to express their opinions to the board.