D300 OK's $1 Million Surplus Budget But Teacher Salaries Still Unset

The District 300 Board of Education Monday approved a $220 million 2012-13 budget with a $1 million operating surplus.  That surplus could change to deficit in an instant, though, depending on how current teacher's contract negotiations turn out.  "(One million dollars) is one percent of teachers' salaries," D300 CFO Susan Harkin told FEN.

There was no public comment on the budget nor any Board debate, either.  In fact, Board President Anne Miller and Member Joe Stevens left before the vote for another session with teachers' negotiators.  In the absence of any announcement this morning, it was apparently inconclusive.

According to news releases, the Board and teachers' LEAD 300 union are battling over class sizes and teachers' costs.  Spokesmen for both sides have been opaque so there's no way to tell, so far, if they aren't both talking about the same thing.

The Board was under the gun since State statutes require a new budget in place by the end of the month. The measure approved calls for $194 million in operating expenses, down about $800,000 from last year, with $195 million in operating income up about $800,000. D300's new budget is located here:
 http://www.boarddocs.com/il/d300/Board.nsf/files/8YBMKM5BA2E2/$file/2012%2009%2024%20Budget%20and%20Resolution%20Public%20Final.pdf

Board Members congratulated Superintendent Michael Bregy on obtaining a Doctorate in Education Leadership from NIU last week.  Getting it was a contract condition when they hired him two years ago.  There's speculation Bregy's dissertation about school principals may eventually see commercial publication.