SD 159 staff size stabilizing

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Updated: February 26, 2012 8:01AM

A run of “pretty drastic” staff cuts in Mokena School District 159 apparently has come to an end.

The District 159 board recently approved a staffing plan for next school year that includes few changes. Supt. Steve Stein’s recommendation, which includes replacing six of seven retiring teachers, would leave the district with about 127 certified staff who work directly with students. That would result in smaller class sizes, a district and community goal.

Stein said the district had reduced staff by 58 employees since 2004-05, when districtwide enrollment reached a high of 2,322 students. Enrollment for next school year is projected at 1,814 students.

Stein called the run of cuts “pretty drastic,” saying the 22 percent reduction puts the staff at “maximum efficiency without sacrificing student achievement or services.”

“If we look to continue to reduce staff, I have concerns about the effectiveness of the programs we’re teaching,” Stein said.

Board President John Troy said he is “glad to see class sizes coming down in upper grades because they bore the brunt of increasing class sizes.”

The district still faces an estimated $1 million deficit this fiscal year.