Mahomet Seymour School Bd Gets Public Feedback on Budget Cuts
Like many others in Illinois, the Mahomet Seymour School District is looking at painful budget cuts as a way to cope with the state's revenue crisis. And at a special meeting last (Thursday) night, more than 150 came to a special school board meeting to defend the programs they care about.
Out of the $620,276 in proposed cuts, reductions in the number of elementary classes and the elimination of intramural sports and the enrichment program received the most criticism. Lisa Powell told Mahomet Syemour school board members she had moved to Mahomet for its schools, and that cutting the enrichment program would hurt.
"A gifted child's needs are not met in the standard classroom", said Powell. "So you are going to lose children. You are going to have children who are bored. And when children are bored, what do they do? They become a Problem."
The proposed reductions in the number of elementary school classes would lead to larger class sizes in every grade but first grade. Jeff Hamilton was one of several parents who asked the school board find an alternative.
"I have a first grader with Special Education needs", explained Hamilton. "Small class sizes are very important and need to be maintained to give my daughter the best opportunity she has to succeed in school and in her life."
Others suggested that some of the cuts could be avoided by dipping into Mahomet-Seymour's $2,000,000 Education Fund. But School Board President Terry Greene says that could be risky, leading to even more budget cuts down the line.
"It was just six years ago that this school district was $1.6 million in the hole", said Greene after the public comments were completed. "We don't want to go back to the day where we have to lay off people, cut programs, raise fees through the roof. So we're trying to be responsible, trying to be thoughtful."
Greene says the Mahomet-Seymour school board will continue budget discussions next week --- and take a final vote at its March 15th meeting.