District 150 received word last week from the State Board of Education that funding for various programs will either be cut or eliminated altogether. The district's summer school course will be one of the first state funded programs to be affected.
Summer school for grades K-through-8 cost about one million dollars to implement-about half of the students are Title one, which is funded federally the other half is funded through Summer Bridges, a state program. As of now, the district should get half of the five-hundred thousand state dollars, but that money could be eliminated as well.
My concern is, if we go ahead and start the program and we find out from the Illinois State Board of Education that the Bridges Program has been cut, we've committed to a program that we would find hard to finance.
Administrator say they believe if half of the state aid does in fact come, they can operate the program, but it won't be possible on just federal dollars alone.
School Board members discussed the possibility of having an abbreviated summer school, but they say no final decision can be made until the State Board meets mid-to late June.
These cuts come on the heels of a state budget passed by Illinois lawmakers that could force seven billion dollars in cuts to vital social service programs statewide.
Governor Quinn has urged lawmakers to consider an income tax increase to fill the budget gaps. He says if taxes aren't increased, there will be dire consequences.
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