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Lane Tech $8.5M Budget Cut Jeopardizes Textbooks, AP Classes: Principal

 The school's $23 million budget would be slashed by $8.5 million, a hit that principal Kathryn Anderson said would
The school's $23 million budget would be slashed by $8.5 million, a hit that principal Kathryn Anderson said would "devastate" the school.
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ROSCOE VILLAGE — If Chicago Public Schools follows through on a reported 39 percent cut in student-based budgeting, Lane Tech College Prep High School — the largest school in the district with an enrollment that tops 4,000 — has a lot to lose.

Principal Kathryn Anderson spelled out what's at stake for Lane Tech in an email to staff, parents and students Monday.

The school's $23 million budget would be slashed by $8.5 million, a hit that Anderson said would "devastate" the school.

Though Lane Tech managed to weather previous cuts with minimal disruption thanks to "wise spending and savings," Anderson warned of "deep cuts" if next year's budget is cut as dramatically as forecast:

• Class size would jump to an average of 36, and Advanced Placement and elective courses would either be combined — taught by the same teacher during the same period — or eliminated.

• The school would be hard-pressed to pay for essentials like textbooks, classroom furniture and technology, much less support sports, extracurricular activities, tutoring and other before- and after-school programs.

• A minimum of 40 teachers and/or counselors would lose their jobs, as would another dozen support staffers, including security, Anderson said in her email.

Assistant principals, the school's admissions director and other administrators would return to the classroom, she added.

The result would be "truly detrimental to students' success," Anderson said.

"Your support is needed now more than ever," she said, and urged parents to take action, including participating in a rally being planned for Thursday in Springfield.

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