Taking a hope-for-the-best-prepare-for-the-worst approach, adults and students at Unit School District 12 in Johnsburg are planning the fall semester assuming the worst–the failure of a March 19 referendum seeking more funding for the district.
Earlier this month, about 50 of an estimated 750 Johnsburg High School students registering for 1996-97 classes were told to identify alternate choices, in the event some classes were restricted or dropped if voters reject a 50-cent increase for the District 12 education fund.
Similarly, school athletes by now are well aware what will happen if the referendum fails.
In January, the school board agreed to send official notice to junior high and high school conferences to eliminate District 12 teams from their fall schedules, should the last-ditch fund raising effort fail next month.
“It’s the topic of conversation in school almost every day,” said Johnsburg High School junior Megan Halinski, who is involved in softball, tennis, drama club, international club, student council and band.
“It’s not just sports,” Halinski said. “Just about everyone’s schedule here will be affected in some way.”
School Board President John Heidler said he’s as concerned about the potential cuts as anyone in the community.
“We certainly didn’t do this as a way to pass a referendum,” Heidler said. “We’ve got seven people on a board extremely concerned about maintaining our quality of education.”
“The deficit is real,” he said. “We’ve been predicting it for five years, and there’s no way to cut that drastically into a budget without affecting programs.”
It all comes down to money.
All of the district’s savings and reserves will be gone at the end of the current school year, school officials said, and the education fund will run in the red by an estimated $700,000.
Lacking relief from the state, the district is forced to turn to the voters.
If the referendum isn’t approved, a long list of cuts to eliminate that $700,000 deficit will automatically take effect at the start of the 1996-97 school year.
The biggest impact will be felt at the junior high school and high school.
All sports are targeted. Junior enrollees at Lake County Technology Campus will be cut off from classes in such vocations as cosmetology, horticulture, auto body and engine repair and electronic equipment repair.
Band will be curtailed to instruction only. Extracurricular activities such as student council, ski clubs, computer clubs or theater will vanish.
On the other hand, if the tax issue passes, the board has agreed not to go through with the cuts next year, even though the extra funding will not be collected until the summer of 1997.
However, voters like Dave Herda, a 10-year resident of Johnsburg, contend the proposed cuts were deliberately chosen to make the issue an emotional one and to pressure taxpayers to vote “yes.”
