By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Unit 5 administrators, including the superintendent, would see their pay frozen in the district’s proposed 2017-2018 budget.

The school board on Wednesday will consider a $164 million spending plan that has a $1.2 million deficit.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Daniel on WJBC.

“There are costs that continue to rise so we are looking still at a budget system that’s based on 2010 numbers,” Superintendent Mark Daniel said. “There has to be an increase somplace somewhere down the line.”

Daniel told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin the state’s financial problems could force the district to find more ways to find revenue.

“We are either going to have to find more ways to become independent locally, less dependant on our state and that might be a course of action we pursue,” Daniel said.

Daniel added the district is still waiting on a $2.7 million payment from the state.

Unit 5 teachers have already had their pay frozen based on their current labor agreement with the district. Hourly workers, including custodians and cafeteria workers, are getting modest pay increases based on earlier negotiations.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].