D206 Braces for Quinn's Proposed Education Cuts

Bloom High School District 206 schools may soon have to work with even tighter funding as Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to advocate cutting 3 percent of the education budget to alleviate pension costs, the Chicago Tribune reports.

That equates to a $278 million reduction in funds for high schools and elementary schools, and it will be the third dramatic budget blow from the state to local schools in three years.

"When you have that tremendous amount of money that you have to put in the pension (system), something's got to give," Quinn told the Tribune.

Homewood Rep. Will Davis said lawmakers need to figure out an alternative to education cuts during a House debate last week.

As expected, local schools are not happy about the news.

"It's a pretty hefty impact, but we're in the process now of looking at the cuts, we're talking about those now," District 206 Superintendent Dr. Lenell Navarre said. "Our goal is to really not cut in the areas that will affect the teaching and learning areas of the district, but in areas students and teachers won't be hurt."

The state is currently paying our $6 billion a year in pensions. Navarre said that should the State cut pension funding, it would cost the district roughly $300,000.

—Original reporting by Ryan Fitzpatrick