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Beecher 200-U Tries Again
By Jeff Vorva
Let’s try it again.
The Beecher District 200-U referendum, to try to ease a $1 million shortfall, failed last June and Superintendent Jack Gaham is in the process of making painful cut recommendations to the board.
He is ready to make even more suggestions – including only allowing eighth grade teams at the junior high level and only varsity teams at the high school level, doubling registration fees, and increasing athletic fees.
But all that doesn’t have to happen, as he is taking another swing at a referendum on the April 4 ballot. Instead of a 5.75 percent referedum rate, he is seeking a 5.35 percent rate that would cost taxpayers roughly a dollar a day more.
“I’ll get us in the black,” Gaham said. “I have no doubt about it. I’ll get you in the black, folks. Now, whether that black is April 4 or that black is initial cuts, it’s not my decision.”
While he said that by law he is not allowed to tell voters how to vote, Gaham is able to throw out some facts and figures on how he would have to get into the black if the referendum fails.
“It makes me – I get it – the bad guy,” he said at the February 13 board meeting. “It is me being the bad guy. It is also me being the bad guy when I tell you what else is on the chopping block if (the referendum on April 4) gives me a certain result.”
Since June, the board either approved or discussed the elimination of Prairie State dual course and advanced placement reimbursements, adding a technology fee, increasing sports fees, not replacing an elementary school art teacher and general education teacher, eliminating freshman sports, and other decisions that will result in $333,000 of savings.
“I need to get to a million,” Gaham said. “I am a very far way off.”
The next round of potential cuts includes all extracurricular programming and classes over the summer being eliminated.
Budgets will be cut another 10 percent.
An art teaching position in the high school, currently being manned by a substitute teacher, will be eliminated.
Registration fees will be doubled.
All sports levels except high school varsity and eighth grade will be axed.
I told you I need a million bucks, and I found $700,000,” Gaham said. “It’s ugly, but I found you $700,000. I’m 2/3rds of the way there. There’s nothing else I can cut, folks.”
He said he is staying away from cutting current teachers.
“I said this in June, and I’ll say it now, this is not the fault of the board, and it’s not the fault of the community,” he said of the need for money. “But sooner or later it catches up with you, and it’s caught up with 200-U.”
It will make Gaham’s life – and the life of the students and staff – easier if the public will side with the school on the referendum this time around.
“These are not threats, folks, I’m telling you the truth,” he said. “I wish I could come up here and give you a wonderful presentation.”
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How did we get to this point? I moved back to Beecher in 2018 and at that time 200U supposedly had plus 12 million dollars budget excess. I do not have children or grandchildren in the Beecher school system, so I did not pay much attention to the goings-on of District 200U. Likewise, I have heard accusations against certain board members and faculty, including the release of a Superintendent that seemed popular in the school system. Apparently some bad decisions have been made in the last 5 years. I would certainly like to hear opinions and thoughts as to why we are now in this situation.
Mr. Letterer here is a short video that explains how the district is only getting 64% of the money needed to educate children from the government. https://youtu.be/RVlt4WkqCq8 As Dr. Gaham stated this is an operating budget problem not a reserves problem. The amount in reserves could potentially be used as a bandaid to help keep the district afloat short term, it is not a long term fix to adress the problem. All of the cuts stated combined STILL don’t fully address the yearly deficit. It has nothing to do with mismanagement of funds and everything to do with inflation and underfunding. Reach out to Beecher 200u Superintendent Dr. Gaham as he would more that happy to answer your questions.
I do hope that we are doing the best we can to apply for every Federal/state grant possible yes I know grant writing is a pain it takes a lot of work it takes a lot of data we’re not in the best position because we aren’t super low income but I do hope we’re reaching out for every federal and state Grant possible to help close this shortfall and keep our Sports programs alive.
I don’t pretend to know all of the fine details of the school budget over the last decade, but I don’t think anyone currently serving holds any blame. I know the reserves were partially used towards new boilers in the elementary school, as the old ones were shot. The elementary school could use a new building frankly, and reserves would need to be strengthened for that.
I do know that the cost of everything is up everywhere. Labor, energy, technology, household staples, and we don’t live in a vacuum. It cost money to provide the technology, infrastructure and salaries to keep good teachers. I don’t want to lose any of the great teachers that we already have, to a neighboring district. Our kids deserve a quality education, with access to current and future technology, arts, music and athletics. Let our kids grow and thrive in a competitive world.
We invested in a needed Public Safety Building and we need to invest in our children’s education. With all the tax money spent by government, this is a cause that deserves our attention. I wish more often I was given the choice like this to vote on how my tax dollars were spent. More on our kids education and less on the hundreds of other pet projects our state has. The increase seems modest and worth the investment.
If we can’t support our kids education, I worry for the viability of our village and keeping our young families local going forward.