Bremen HS District 228 Announces Budget Reductions, Fee Increases

Bremen High School District 228 approved athletics cuts and registration fee increases on Tuesday to avoid burdening its taxbase while state funds continue to decline.

Board member and finance chair Evelyn Gleason said the state has cut a $200,000 textbook grant, and in order to fund needed textbooks for the school, the finance committee recommended raising registration fees by $25.

Gleason said the board looked at fees in surrounding districts and took into account that Bremen has not raised fees in seven years before making their recommendation. The board unanimously agreed.

Assistant Superintendent for Financial Services Tom O'Malley said the increased fees should raise $80,000 to $100,000 for textbook funding.

After the meeting O'Malley said the board had discussed raising fees last year but decided against it in these tough economic times. However, the state has given the school district no other option, he said.

“The high unemployment and (with) everything that was going on, the board said now is not the time to go to our taxpayers,” he said. “We revisited it this year and with the scenario where we don't have that grant money and the knowledge that we need to purchase more text books...but we have increased subject areas that will require us to spend (around $100,000) on textbooks next year.”

The increased fees will not make up for the loss of the textbook grant, but they'll help raise money for new textbook purcashes, O'Malley noted.

In an effort to close budget shortfalls, the district also approved a plan recommended by the finance department to cut most Freshman B athletics.

O'Malley said the cuts will not effect the football team. Those students in most other sports should be absorbed by A teams and will also have the opportunity to participate in intramural sports, he said.

“If the financial situation improves in the future and there is still a need for these programs, the board can look at reinstating them at that time,” he noted.

New Lift

Thanks to grant funding, the district accepted a bid by Snap-on for the purchase of an automotive alignment machine and lift for Tinley Park High School.

Educational Support Services chair and board vice president John Kirkton said the machine would replace an obsolete lift that is used for the district-wide automotive course. 

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Corrine Williams said she expected funding to come from the CTI Perkins grant, which helps Career and Technical Education Departments.