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Modest Layoffs Coming For Elgin School District

ELGIN, Ill. (WBBM) -- The second largest school district in Illinois is cutting more staff, but it pales in comparison to the massive layoffs of last year.

As WBBM Newsradio 780's Lisa Fielding reports, Elgin School District U-46 laid off more than 1,000 teachers and staff. But spokesman Tony Sanders says this year, the district will only be reducing staff by 180.

LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Lisa Fielding reports

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"Of those 180 staff, there are teachers in there, there are teaching assistants, there are other staff that are included in those reductions," Sanders said.

Sanders says the cuts still hurt, but a lot has changed since last year for the district.

"First and foremost, the General Assembly overrode a governor's veto of a bill that fixes part of our funding problem, so that provides us about $15 million for the current school year," Sanders said. "The other piece was that we made enough reductions last year so there's really not much left to cut."

Sanders says the district still has a structural deficit, but overall, it's more financially sound, at least for the short term.

District U-46 has 41,000 students and 5,000 employees.

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