Q&A: Staffing Plan for 2026-27 School Year
Each year, District 97 develops a staffing plan to ensure we have the right staff in place to support students while aligning with enrollment trends, educational programming, and long-term financial sustainability.
As part of this year’s staffing plan, District 97 will implement a Reduction in Force (RIF) for the 2026–27 school year. Although the district has not needed to conduct a RIF in many years, it is a common process school districts use when staffing levels must be adjusted due to enrollment changes, program shifts, or scheduling needs.
In some areas—particularly at the middle school level—current enrollment patterns have resulted in course sections with very small numbers of students and schedules where teachers may have multiple periods without assigned classes. Adjusting staffing helps ensure that resources are aligned with actual student enrollment and course demand.
Importantly, these staffing adjustments are not expected to significantly affect students’ classroom experiences. Core class sizes are projected to remain consistent with recent years, and academic programming and student supports will continue as planned.
The FAQ below explains what this means and what to expect next. We will continue to update this page as needed. If there are additional questions, please reach out via Let's Talk.
The staffing plan is the district’s annual process for determining how many staff members are needed at each school and in each role. This process takes place every year in school districts across the country.
It helps ensure we:
- Align staffing with student enrollment
- Provide required academic programs and student supports
- Maintain appropriate class sizes
- Use district resources responsibly
Staffing decisions are based on multiple factors:
- Enrollment projections — projected student counts by school and grade
- Class size guidelines — ensuring projected sizes remain within contractual limits
- Student needs — maintaining special education and bilingual staffing requirements
- Operational efficiency — ensuring balanced staffing across schools
- Financial responsibility — preventing projected deficit spending in future years
Several factors require the district to adjust staffing levels for the upcoming school year:
- Changes in student enrollment across all grade levels and schools;
- Program adjustments, including the transition away from the International Baccalaureate program in the middle schools;
- Middle school schedule redesign;
- Student elective selections.
In recent years, the district has relied on natural attrition to manage staffing reductions at the elementary level. While this approach minimized direct impacts on staff, it did not fully address staffing needs at the middle schools. As a result, middle schools experienced operational inefficiencies, such as uneven class sizes and inconsistencies in individual staff planning time.
A more comprehensive staffing approach allows the district to align resources more efficiently and equitably across schools while maintaining strong student learning environments.
While aligning staffing also has a positive impact on the district’s long-term financial outlook, the primary goal is ensuring that staffing and programming reflect actual student needs.
A Reduction in Force (RIF) occurs when a school district reduces staff positions due to enrollment changes, program needs, or financial considerations. It is a structural adjustment used to align staffing levels with district needs.
While District 97 has not conducted a RIF in many years, this process is common in public education systems.
Under Illinois law, school districts must follow a process called the Sequence of Honorable Dismissal (SOHD) List when implementing a RIF. This process is established under Illinois Senate Bill 7, and ensures staffing decisions are made using objective criteria.
Teachers are placed into groups based on performance evaluation ratings and seniority (length of service as part of the Oak Park Teachers’ Association). This information is used to determine which staff might be subject to a RIF.
The process helps ensure that staffing decisions are consistent, transparent, and based on state law and collective bargaining agreements—not individual preference.
If positions later become available, qualified staff who were honorably dismissed may be offered those positions through a recall process, typically in reverse order of dismissal.
For most students and families, classroom experiences will remain consistent next year.
- Core class sizes are projected to remain similar to recent years.
- Required academic programs and student supports will continue.
- Changes focus on staffing efficiency and equitable resource alignment—not reducing student services.
District leaders prioritize maintaining stable, supportive learning environments for students.
Current projections show class sizes will remain within contractual guidelines and comparable to recent years. However, there are currently some imbalances in course enrollment. For example, certain elective classes have very small enrollments, including some with fewer than five students.
These staffing adjustments are designed to improve efficiency while maintaining appropriate learning environments for students.
The RIF process is governed by Illinois School Code and collective bargaining agreements.
Steps include:
- Identifying areas where staffing exceeds projected needs;
- Grouping staff by qualifications and evaluation ratings;
- Applying district seniority guidelines;
- Providing written notification to affected staff.
If positions later become available, impacted staff are offered those roles first through a recall process.
Current projections indicate:
- Up to 27 full-time positions may be reduced district-wide as part of aligning staffing with enrollment and program needs.
- Many of these reductions are expected to occur through normal attrition, such as retirements, resignations, or positions that are not refilled. Current estimates suggest approximately 12 to 24 positions may be addressed through attrition.
- Approximately 3 to 15 staff members may receive RIF notifications, depending on final enrollment projections and staffing needs.
These projections may change as enrollment is finalized.
- March 2026 – Final staffing proposal presented to Board of Education
- April 2026 – RIF notifications issued
- May 2026 – Staff assignments shared for the upcoming school year
Yes. School districts regularly adjust staffing levels based on enrollment trends, program needs, and budget considerations. These processes help districts remain financially stable while continuing to provide strong educational programs.
The information referenced in this FAQ is based on state guidance developed to support school districts in complying with Public Act 097-0008 (Senate Bill 7).
You can learn more by reviewing the guidance document here: https://www.isbe.net/documents/pera_guidance.pdf
If there are additional questions, please reach out via Let's Talk.