Briefs: Dist. 103 has new budget

Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 has approved a $26.6 million budget for 2008-09, a 15 percent increase from last year. Darryl Hancock, assistant superintendent for business, said the increase is attributed partially to major capital projects across the district including renovations to school bathrooms and new parking lots at Sprague and Daniel Wright Junior High. The increase also reflects hiring 25 people, 12 of which are new teaching and support staff positions to maintain or reduce class sizes from kindergarten to eighth grade. The budget also includes costs to implement six new full-day kindergarten classes at Sprague School although Superintendent Larry Fleming said costs for the full-day program are covered by tuition charged for each student.

Dist. 116 increases staff

Round Lake District 116 has added a new kindergarten teacher at Village School and a fifth-grade teacher at Ellis School, to reduce the class sizes at those grade levels. Currently, fifth grade classes have 29 students, the maximum allowed by union contract, and kindergarten classes also were coming close to the maximum capacity.

Hawley Street to close

A stretch of Hawley Street will close near the Countryside Golf Course in the Mundelein area starting Oct. 6 so a pedestrian and golf cart tunnel can be built. For seven days, Hawley will be closed between Route 60 and Gilmer Road. A detour route will be posted. The tunnel will eliminate the current street-level crossing across Hawley.