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Davenport Schools Ordered to Make Big Cuts

Leaders of the Davenport School District will have to make some tough decisions during the next year and-a-half. The state's School Budget Review Committee has ordered them to reduce spending by 13 million dollars by June of 2020.

Interim Superintendent T.J. Schneckloth says since around 85 per cent of the district's budget pays for staffing, some serious cuts in employment will have to be made.

"We have been trying to cut as far as we can away from students if possible, and away from employees when possible because most of our employees are directly related to students. So what we have to do is begin to make those necessary, difficult decisions."

And that could mean having to layoff about 80 people.

Closing a school is not in the short-term budget-cutting plan, but he says school closings are definitely in the five year budget plan the district also has to submit to the state.

"We will begin to meet with buildings and central office departments to look at how do we come out of this process, still having the ability to run strong programs with less - that is our goal."

Enrollment in the Davenport schools is now about 15,000 - down 900 students in the past ten years.

District leaders are scheduled to meet again with the School Budget Review Committee in March.
 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.