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District 57 previews FY26 staffing plan; multilingual needs highlighted
Summary
HR director Karen Schwarzwald presented a first-read staffing plan for fiscal year 2026 that proposes a net decrease of 2.3 certified FTE and a 0.5 ESP increase, and flagged a state requirement to open a transitional bilingual education section at Lincoln if 20+ students share a primary non-English language.
The District 57 Board received a first reading of the fiscal year 2026 staffing plan, which proposes a small net shift in staff roles and highlights unpredictable multilingual-learner enrollment that may require a bilingual section at Lincoln Middle School.
Why it matters: Staffing decisions determine class sizes, program offerings and student support levels. The plan’s multilingual projections and special-education changes could alter schedules and staffing assignments before the next school year.
Details presented: HR Director Karen Schwarzwald told the board the plan currently shows a net decrease of 2.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) certified positions and an increase of 0.5 educational support personnel FTE. Specific changes cited included a reduction of three classroom teachers (two at Lions Park and one at Lincoln), a 0.5 FTE reduction in an early childhood special-education section and an additional special-education teacher to reintroduce the SOAR program at Lincoln. The plan also proposes internal shifts in speech-language-pathologist time at Lions Park.
Multilingual learners: Schwarzwald said the district is forecasting 22 students at Lincoln whose primary language is Spanish. Under Illinois requirements the district would be required to open a transitional bilingual education (TBE) section when a school has 20 or more students with the same primary language; the administration is projecting and planning for that possibility. A bilingual interventionist position currently grant-funded would not be continued if the disproportionality grant no longer applies; the administration recommended monitoring and possible reallocation of supports.
Mental-health and supports: Board members asked about psychologists and social workers; administration said there is no net increase in district mental-health FTE in this proposal, though small internal shifts were noted (for example, 0.2 FTE moved from Lions Park SOAR to Lincoln). Administration said psychologist and social-work positions are difficult to fill but currently staffed.
Outcome: This was a first read; no vote was taken. Trustees requested continued monitoring, clearer enrollment and language data in May–June, and that administration return with recommended staffing adjustments for final approval later in the budget cycle.
