By By SPIROS GALLOS / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Niles Community Schools enrollment numbers are higher than expected, and that means more money for teachers.
Teachers at Niles schools will receive a 1 percent to 1.5 percent increase in pay due to an enrollment about 60 students higher than initially projected by Niles Community Schools.
At the Niles Community Schools board of education meeting Monday, Superintendent Doug Law announced that enrollment figures were up 63 students over projections on the September official count day.
Law said due to the increased enrollment, which will bring an additional $6,700 per student in state funding, Niles schools will receive about $400,000 more than the $32.6 million budget project for the upcoming year.
The money will help reduce an $800,000 budget deficit the board expected to face this school year.
The additional revenue will reduce the money the district will need to take out of the fund equity, but the district will still need to take money from the fund equity, Law said.
The fund equity could be compared to a rainy day fund.
Teachers will receive a half percent now on their November paychecks, retroactive to July, and will receive the remainder of the raise at the end of they year, provided there are no cuts made to the $6,700 from the state per pupil.
Law said he expects a cut in state aid though, after the November election.
The largest increase in enrollment came at Niles High School, which the district expected due to the large number of eighth graders graduating from Ring Lardner Middle School.
Enrollment in the elementary schools was seven more than expected, while enrollment at the middle school was down seven students from initial projections.
Secretaries will also receive an increase in salary due to the increase in enrollment thanks to a similar clause included in the district's contract with the secretaries union.