Kankakee Valley cuts 13 teachers

WHEATFIELD -- More than 400 people packed the Kankakee Valley High School auditorium Monday in a show of support for 13 teachers slated for contract termination under the Kankakee Valley School Corp.'s reduction in force process.

The contract cancellations are the final step in the process that board officials deemed necessary to fill an almost $1.5 million budget gap due to a reduction in state funding and an across-the-board increase in insurance costs. A 14th teacher is scheduled to have his contract terminated at a special school board meeting May 3 due to problems with the notification process.

The school board meeting followed an almost two-hour rally on the high school lawn with more than 250 supporters for the Kankakee Valley Teachers Association, the union representing the teachers, including teachers from the Lake Central, Boone Grove, Highland, Munster, Hebron, Crown Point and North Newton school corporations.