Dozens of school positions cut as CUSD #168 faces growing budget crisis

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

WEST FRANKFORT, Ill., (KBSI) — The Frankfort Community Unit School District No. 168 Board of Education met March 16, approving financial items and making significant staffing decisions to address a projected budget deficit.

FOX23 has received the email from an anonymous viewer regarding the March 16, 2026, meeting and the decisions discussed.

The board specifically noted it would enter closed session to discuss a range of personnel, labor and student-related matters, as outlined on the agenda under the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Topics included the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline or dismissal of employees, testimony on complaints, collective bargaining, salary schedules and school safety procedures, as well as matters involving individual students.

The meeting was held at 6 p.m. in the library at Central Junior High School.

The board approved nearly $850,000 in bills and reviewed financial reports showing ongoing deficits, with projections ranging from $700,000 to $900,000 for the current fiscal year. Officials said limited reserves and high payroll costs — about 79% to 80% of revenue — have contributed to the district’s financial challenges.

Superintendent updates included a $20,000 donation to support academic recognition programs and a major maintenance concern involving a leaking boiler at the high school.

During new business, the board approved a mowing services contract, summer special education programming and other routine items.

Following a closed session, the board accepted two resignations and approved a plan to reduce staffing for the 2026-27 school year across multiple positions districtwide. Board members said the cuts were necessary to stabilize finances.

“These are extremely difficult decisions,” Board President Kevin Toney said. “We must work to put the district on more stable financial ground.”

The board also approved posting several positions for the upcoming school year and hired a high school cheerleading sponsor.

The meeting adjourned at 11:13 p.m.

Approved Staffing Reductions for 2026–2027 School Year

• District Elementary School (DES):
• Title Math
• Title Reading
• Counselor (Shared)
• Title Math Aide
• Title Reading Aide (2 positions)
• Special Education EOC Aide
• Frankfort Intermediate School (FIS):
• Title Reading (3rd/4th Grade)
• Behavior Interventionist
• 3rd Grade Section
• 5th Grade Section
• Counselor (Shared)
• Assistant Principal
• Title Reading Aide
• Special Education Program Aide (3rd/4th Grade)
• Special Education Program Aide (5th/6th Grade)
• Central Junior High School (CJHS):
• Behavior Interventionist
• Special Education (ED)
• Social Worker (Shared)
• Special Education Program Aide

Frankfort Community High School (FCHS):

• Special Education (LD)
• Driver’s Education
• Spanish Section
• Credit Recovery
• Behavior Interventionist (A.C.R.)
• English Section
• Social Worker (Shared)
• Part-Time Chaperone
• Additional Positions:
• Time-Out Monitors (FIS)
• Detention Monitors (CJHS & FCHS)
• Attendance/McKinney-Vento Liaison (District-wide)

Positions Approved to Be Posted for 2026–2027

All Schools:

• Counselor

FIS / CJHS:

• Behavior Interventionist (Grades 4–8)
• FIS:
• 6th Grade Social Science
• 6th Grade Math/English
• Title Teacher (Math/Reading, 3rd–5th Grade)

FCHS:

• Special Education (ED)
• Part-Time Spanish
• Part-Time Driver’s Education
• Credit Recovery / Behavior Interventionist (A.C.R.)
• Support Roles:
• Special Education Program Aide (FIS & FCHS)
• Special Education Supervisor / Assistant Principal (District-wide)

A statement from Superintendent, Matt Donkin –

“As a district of over 1,400 students in grades Pre-K through 12 that continues to have one of the lowest property tax rates south of Interstate 70 on a smaller amount of property wealth that some other neighboring districts have, but also a strong record and tradition of investing in personnel at higher rates than others, the district has had several decades of feast or famine in regards to its budgets. The pandemic brought increased federal funding through the state, but also brought increasing needs for catching up on instruction as well addressing physical, mental, and social health needs. The district used the funds, which had to be spent in a timely manner, to meet those needs. As those funds went away, and as several state funding sources, including Corporate Personal Property Replacement tax proceeds, declined greatly, the deficit increased. In addition, the district has seen the same rise in costs of health insurance over the past two years that everyone has seen. This is what led to a lot of the discussions back in the fall of 2025 when the Board was negotiating the District’s latest Teachers’ Contract. The financial information from that time period is still posted on the District’s website at www.wfschools.org. The contract was settled, but the District had to then determine what those increased costs would do in regards to the overall budget deficit. This continues to be a significant issue as FCUSD 168 uses 79-80% of revenue to meet payroll, while neighboring districts percentages range from 55% to 70%.

In planning for next year, schools in Illinois must legally give notice to teaching staff no later than April 15 of the potential to not have a position in the following school year. This is for planning and to let employees have plenty of time to search for a teaching job for the following year. Unfortunately, with the Illinois Budget Cycle, districts won’t even know until at least the end of May what their state revenue will be. Therefore, districts have to plan very conservatively. That is compounded this spring with the current unpredictable economic conditions.

To follow both the law and its teachers’ contract, if the district is going to combine some positions to better deploy staff as its enrollment has declined over the past few years, it must first vote to eliminate some positions and then post others. The district then goes through the process of bidding and bumping so that those teachers with more quality experience have the chance to secure positions. Later this month, the district will determine the much smaller number of people that might eventually have to be laid off. Most positions that are laid off do retain call back rights if financial conditions improve.

The district knows this situation is stressful to its employees and the entire community. It’s an issue that more and more districts across Illinois are facing this spring. The goal for FCUSD #168 is to continue to provide the best education it can with the funds it has available.”