Dist. 300 begins filling $1 million budget gap

The Du Quoin Board of Education Thursday received an overview from Supt. Dr. Gary Kelly on how Du Quoin schools hope to fill another $1 million budget gap during the coming year.

The state is poised to cut another $1 billion in school aid statewide during the coming year.

"We will have to put people we already have in place where they can teach and expect everyone to do some heavy lifting," said the superintendent.

Some of the areas affected throughout the district budget could include:

• Shifting teaching and administrative responsibilities after one administrator (Peg Pursell), five teachers and two non-certified personnel retire.

• Raising season athletic ticket prices, but adding more value to include girls' games on top of boys' games and tournaments.

• Hosting an Indian Pride Week Columbus Day weekend that would include a foundation event with a dinner, dance, silent auction, 5-K run and golf scramble.

• Asking the athletic department to find savings or income to help fund supplies, equipment and travel.

• Moving some third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade special needs students out of the Tri-County program back into the district.

• Look critically at the costs of busing. Right now morning ridership is about 50 percent of capacity and afternoon 64 percent of capacity.

• Cut back on custodial supplies to include cutting he number of trash cans in each room and the cost of keeping them emptied.

• Use recently approved $100,000 maintenance grants and $247,000 energy grants to the district's advantage.

• Eliminate off-site early childhood programs and move as much of the program back into the district as possible.

• Ask band directors to utilize district Band Boosters to raise as much money as possible or equipment and supplies.

• Seek more business sponsorships to cover things like DHS drama department production royalty costs.

"You can try and cherry-pick this plan all you want," said Dr. Kelly. "They (the DEA) are just glad we haven't cut people," he said in trying to provide some solace. This plan is a work in progress.

The district has not yet heard the results of an application for a $35,000 grant to begin installing new security cameras in some parts of the district.

The board authorized the beginning of the 2014-2015 budget process.