District projects enrollment decline, proposes staffing changes and redeployments to cover programs

District staff told the Park Ridge CCSD 64 Board of Education on Feb. 20 that the district’s rollover enrollment projection shows a decline from 4,483 to 4,316 students (a drop of 167) and outlined staffing implications and proposed adjustments for the 2025–26 year.

Projection method and results: Using the district’s historical “rollover” method (moving current students to the next grade and accounting for known incoming/outgoing students) staff reported a projected district enrollment of 4,316, down 167 students from the January baseline. The declines were spread across buildings; district-wide the analysis shows a loss that results in a net seven classroom sections reduced next school year (with Lincoln projected down two sections and most other schools down one section each). Staff said the pattern reflects smaller cohorts entering the system since COVID and that the middle school level is where the trend is most pronounced.

Personnel approach: The district reported nine upcoming retirements and said those retirements will allow the district to absorb seven reduced sections without executing any reductions-in-force for full-time certified teachers. Staff described the usual spring practice of honorably dismissing part‑time teachers and first-year TAs (so the district can later recall them if needed); they said they expect to use fewer part-time percentages this year.

Proposed positions and budget links: Staff proposed asking the board to approve four additional positions for next year: two special-education coordinator positions (district estimate approximately $260,000 total) and two positions to be funded through grants (a second BCBA and a special-education inclusion coach). Staff said the two grant-funded positions would be cost neutral to the district budget if grant applications and awards follow plan. The pair of special-ed coordinator hires would increase the coordinator complement (staff described going from four to six coordinators) to provide more on-site time for IEP support, modeling and teacher coaching; staff framed the request as implementation of prior audit recommendations and as a capacity-building step.

Budget strategy and capital: Staff also discussed the district’s plan to shift savings to capital improvements, noting an objective to target $2.0 million per year toward facilities maintenance and capital work, leveraging retirements and enrollment-driven operating savings. Staff further said they hope to use some of those savings to eliminate full‑day kindergarten tuition in a future year.

Union engagement and hiring practice: Staff said they are discussing with the teachers’ union an adjustment in hiring practice: rather than immediately hiring new teachers mid‑summer to respond to small enrollment “bubbles,” the district may prefer to use class-size flex practices and prioritize hiring earlier in the year to preserve teacher quality and reduce fiscal risk. Staff noted that hiring late in the summer often produces weaker candidate pools.

Next steps: Staff will bring formal position requests and budget language to the board for approval; they will continue communicating with the union and return with a staffing table in March that breaks down FTEs by department and building for clearer multi‑year planning.