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Effingham CUSD 40 board warns of possible $250,000 shortfall, outlines staffing and facility choices
Summary
At an open meeting the board flagged a potential 10% cut to mandated categorical funding (roughly $250,000), described planned attrition/RIF approaches tied to a new contract, and said health-life-safety facility repairs total about $4 million while outlining classroom-size planning.
The Effingham CUSD 40 board opened its meeting by outlining financial pressures and possible staffing impacts tied to the district—udget and a newly negotiated contract. The presiding official (Chair) said the district ims to improve its financial rating, noted a current figure cited as 3.35, and warned that a 10% reduction in mandated categorical funding could amount to about $250,000 in lost revenue.
The Chair said the district—xamined staffing scenarios with Kelsey Baker and recommended relying on attrition where possible rather than immediate large-scale layoffs, but also described a potential ripple effect in which some positions (for example, high school art) might "bump" other positions and ultimately remove several posts from the roster. The district—udget was referenced in the range of roughly $2.5 million to $2.9 million, and the Chair said projected "new money" costs tied to the contract are about $670,000 for 2025-26 and just over $700,000 for 2026-27.
Board members emphasized they do not intend to eliminate upper-level science and English courses and said the district will monitor enrollment and make adjustments if course offerings become unsustainable. The board indicated high school class sizes could exceed current numbers but said they expect to cap classes at about 24 students where feasible.
On facilities, the Chair said a health-life-safety report identified roughly $4 million in work; the board framed that as necessary to improve and maintain safe school buildings but stopped short of committing to the full scope of repairs at this meeting. The Chair said a press release summarizing the rationale and details would be issued after the meeting.
The board—ontextualized these choices as attempts to preserve competitive wages and benefits after the recent collective bargaining process while ensuring the district remains financially stable going forward.
