Elgin district may cut one teaching job to balance budget

ELGIN — The Elgin School District may cut one full-time teaching position to balance its 2012-13 budget.

The Elgin School District’s budget committee recommended that one teaching position be cut as part of a 2012-13 spending plan it approved Thursday night. The spending plan of $3.627 million is $104,862 less than the district’s current year budget.

The reduction is needed because of reduced revenue caused by declining enrollment and less funding from the state.

Cutting the teaching position would save the school district between $67,000 and $73,000 in salary and benefits.

The budget committee did not make a recommendation regarding which teaching position would be eliminated. Elgin School District Superintendent Larry Christman said it is possible that the position could be cut through attrition by not replacing a teacher who resigns or retires.

The school district’s budget picture looks much better than it did a week ago. Elgin officials then feared that $185,000 would have to be cut to balance the budget. The budget picture improved earlier this week when it was learned that the district would receive more money from the state than anticipated. The news greatly relieved Christman.

“It has been a very good week for the Elgin School District,” the superintendent said.

The school board will later vote on whether to adopt the spending plan recommended by the budget committee. The board must adopt a budget for the 2012-13 school year by June 30.