Kaneland administrators outline plan to close a $4.2 million gap, propose staff cuts and move KIPLA program

Kaneland CUSD 302 district administrators told the board that the district projects a $4.2 million operating deficit and proposed multiple staffing and program reductions intended to align next year’s spending with anticipated revenues.

The plan presented by Dr. Bogan and Dr. Atkins would reduce spending across capital, transportation and building budgets and cut staff positions that administrators said would realize roughly $1.6 million in projected savings from programmatic changes and staffing reductions. Administrators said about 83% of district expenditures are for salaries and benefits and emphasized they first reduced non-staff spending where possible.

District officials said the proposal would not eliminate the KIPLA personalized-learning model but would move the program from the KMAC building into John Shields and Harter Middle School, and absorb several site-level roles into those buildings. Dr. Atkins said moving KIPLA would remove 1.2 exploratory FTE and several site support roles (lunch monitors, a food services manager, a secretary and a nurse) that currently serve KMAC; the plan would retain some specialized special-education support for KIPLA students at the middle-school level. The presentation said about $500,000 in deferred HVAC work at the KMAC building would be avoided by relocating the program.

Why it matters: Parents, teachers and unions at the meeting warned that cuts to counselors, elementary MTSS interventionists and assistant principals would reduce student-facing supports. Multiple public speakers said proposed eliminations — especially two high-school counselors and reductions in elementary MTSS interventionists — risked reducing proactive mental-health support, college-and-career services and small-group academic interventions.

What administrators proposed: The presentation included program-level staffing reductions summarized as follows: - Elementary: reduce one MTSS interventionist at each elementary site (leaving three per site in the model described), reduce exploratory sections (about 3.7 FTE across the district), and delete some site-specific FTE tied to enrollment. - Middle school: remove two MTSS FTE, an LRC (library/learning resource center) director position, and an unfilled instructional-coach line. - High school: reduce one MTSS interventionist, eliminate two counselor positions, and remove one food-service FTE. - District-level: do not fill an unfilled 1:1 instructional coach; eliminate an ELL FTE being vacated by retirement; reallocate the KIPLA administrator position to a district-level “assessment and school improvement coordinator” (a change that prompted objections from several board members). Administrators also proposed reducing building discretionary budgets by 10% (estimated districtwide at about $318,000), capping next year’s transportation replacement spending at $300,000, and cutting planned capital projects roughly 50% for the coming year.

Public comment and staff reaction: More than a dozen speakers addressed the board in public comment. KEA President Susie Axel and KEA negotiator Patty Reeder warned that the association had bargained responsibly and said cuts to staffing would harm student services and the profession. High-school counselors and the College and Career Readiness Center staff — including Kate Ozarka, who described a range of college, career and military programming — described services that would be reduced if counselor positions are eliminated. Multiple parents and KIPLA families urged the board to preserve the current KIPLA setup at the KMAC building or to provide a concrete plan for how personalized learning, transportation and special-education needs will be met after relocation.

Board discussion and next steps: Board members pressed administrators for details about how program delivery would change and whether the administrative reallocation (the new district assessment role) was the right priority while classroom-facing personnel are reduced. Dr. Atkins and Dr. Bogan said detailed scheduling, enrollment-driven staffing and legally required steps for certified reductions (the sequence of honorable dismissal described under state law) would follow board action and additional staff consultation. Administrators said the board would receive a minimum-staffing plan for approval at the March board meeting; they said legal timelines for certified reductions limit how late the district may delay formal action.

No vote tonight: The board did not vote on the proposal at the meeting. Multiple board members asked administration to reassess district-level administrative staffing and to return with a revised plan that preserves as many student-facing positions as possible while still addressing the budget gap.

Ending: Administrators said they will continue detailed work with building leaders and employee groups and return with refined staffing lists and the minimum-staffing plan required under state law. Many public speakers asked the board to delay final decisions until the district presents concrete plans that show how KIPLA, counseling and MTSS services will operate in new configurations.