"May God have mercy on us..."

Lake Board votes on cuts

I'm heading back to Ohio this week to speak at Kenyon College and then on to D.C. to speak at Occupy the DOE. While at Bowling Green last Thursday, I picked up a copy of the local Sentinel-Tribune. The lead story about the devastating cuts being made in nearby Lake Township schools has stayed with me all the way back to Chicago.

It starts with the Lake Board's ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of its students.

There was a parade of outstanding basketball players, superior-rated music students and the top speller at Lake Elementary. The middle school quiz bowl team got kudos for being tops in the county.

Then the other shoe drops. The Board votes to strip $1.15 million from the district's budget. That's 43 positions, including eight teachers, and the all-day everyday kindergarten program. They blame the cuts on $1.6 million lost this year in state and federal funding, combined with a decrease in property taxes, plus the rejection of two levies last year.

"This board now has no choice but to make these deep and devastating cuts," said board president Tim Krugh before a crowd of about 200 in the middle school cafeteria. "It's heartbreaking to me that we are forced to take this action that we are compelled to take. May God have mercy on us."

Each of the five board members spoke before voting unanimously to make the cuts. There was no public commentary before the vote.