Shorewood board approves preliminary nonrenewal notices and four FTE reductions amid budget shortfall

On April 29, 2025, the Shorewood School District Board of Education voted to issue preliminary notices of nonrenewal for two staff contracts and to approve preliminary notices for four staff FTE reductions as part of a package of budget‑balancing measures presented by district administrators.

District Superintendent Heather (last name not specified in transcript) told the board the actions were time‑sensitive: "We are obligated by state statute to make staff changes, notices of nonrenewal of full‑time FTE reductions by tomorrow," she said, framing the votes as required by law and timetable. After discussion, the motion to approve the FTE reductions passed on a divided vote recorded in the meeting as 3–1 in favor; the transcript records approval of the two staff contract nonrenewals without a numerical tally.

The votes followed more than two hours of public comment, during which teachers, coaches and parents urged the board to find alternatives to cuts. High‑school English department chair Sheila Mooney told the board: "We risk losing good teachers because of these cuts. We will lose good teachers because of these cuts." Teacher Haley Coutts framed the choice in plain terms: "Are we feeding the future of our students? Are we feeding this community? Or are we feeding the fund balance?"

Administrators said the district is balancing multiple pressures. Superintendent Heather and other presenters summarized a five‑year financial forecast that showed modest revenue growth and rising per‑student operating costs; the district projects operating cost per student to rise from about $13,400 this year to roughly $15,600 by 2029 under current assumptions. Administrators told the board they had used a mix of one‑time and recurring strategies to bridge earlier shortfalls, including short‑term borrowing for cash flow. The district reported prior short‑term borrowing in the range of $3.6 million to $3.8 million with annual carrying costs of roughly $75,000; those borrowing costs were cited as a reason to build the district's fund balance.

Board and staff described a policy decision made when the district put an operating referendum before voters: the district sought to rebuild a fund balance from a low point and target a 25–35% fund balance range over the referendum period to avoid recurring borrowing costs. At a public comment, resident and parent Jay Lowry said his calculations showed the district's fund balance had grown to about 32.5% and that maintaining the proposed FTE reductions would leave the projected fund balance near 37.5% in one scenario. School leaders said the fund‑balance calculations are part of the tradeoffs the board must weigh.

Administrators outlined the operational impact of the staffing changes: a net reduction at the high school they described as 3.6 FTE (2.8 teaching positions and other reductions), a 0.5 FTE reduction at SIS (the intermediate school), a 1.9 FTE reduction at Atwater (including a kindergarten section consolidation), and one additional special‑education teacher added at Lake Bluff because of student needs. The district estimated a projected budget impact tied to configuration and staffing changes of about $365,000 for the coming fiscal year, while noting negotiated salary and health‑benefit increases will affect net spending.

Board members acknowledged the difficulty of the choices and largely attributed the situation to state funding limits and declining enrollment. Trustee Nathan (last name not specified) said the cuts were a consequence of state decisions that have constrained public education funding and left local districts with hard choices. Several teachers and parents warned that cuts to experienced staff and electives risked weakening programs that make Shorewood a sought‑after district.

The board also approved other routine consent items earlier in the meeting and heard a superintendent's report describing pending state and federal policy matters, including an injunction related to a federal Title VI certification request and unresolved state funding questions tied to literacy funding litigation. The superintendent said the district will continue monitoring those developments and pursue short‑ and long‑term budget strategies, including a neighborhood enrollment study and a reexamination of operational efficiency items such as substitute usage and program consolidation.

Board President (first name Laurie; role identified in meeting as presiding officer) thanked speakers and said the board would take public comments to heart as it finalizes the budget. The board will be asked to take final action on personnel notices required by statute at a later meeting, with final nonrenewal notices scheduled under state timelines.

For now, the votes leave the district moving forward with preliminary notices that set a process in motion; final actions and any possible appeals or changes will follow the statutory timelines for nonrenewal notices and board review.