Managing the financial affairs of a public school district has always been a very challenging operation.
But during the past 15 years, the task of making sure that revenue sources are available for all the needs to be addressed has become a huge task.
As a superintendent in Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95, I didn’t take much comfort reading a recent news article that indicated that our district was one of 415 districts in Illinois that has resorted to deficit spending (“Tax caps blamed for tax-hike requests; 13 school districts will ask voters for help in March,” Metro, Jan. 31). To blame the issue solely on the tax cap is an inaccurate statement. The tax cap has been very successful for residents in Illinois and has given them more of a voice in funding issues. The impact of the tax cap has placed the school board in a position where it must examine the benefits even of programs that have minor cost impacts on the district. Previously only major programs came under such scrutiny. This is good for the district and good for the taxpayers.
The funding situation in our schools is the result of some societal changes in our nation as well as the communities that make up the district. Computer technology permeates all successful school systems today. District 95 currently operates a technology program that provides access to computers to every student. The interesting aspect about computer technology is that what is state-of-the-art today is often considered obsolete in fewer years than a four-year high-school education.
Today, meeting the needs of students with special needs, as well as physical education classes for every student, are mandated by the state. The state does not provide enough money to implement these worthwhile programs, but the district is legally required to comply with the laws.
The proliferation of litigation and advances in health care in the United States have impacted District 95 schools in the area of property and health-insurance costs, just like it has for many of you.
The District 95 School Board and administration fully recognize the importance of students being involved in athletic or fine arts programs. We know that students who participate in these activities have higher self-esteem and perform better in the classroom. Even with this understanding, District 95 was unable to fund many of these activities in the current school year. These offerings would not have been available to students had the residents of the community not stepped forward to raise funds in the Funds for Kids campaign. The district has been fiscally responsible by privatizing both maintenance and the food-service programs. The bus purchase contract is one of the best in the state and allows the transportation program budget to run in the black when most transportation programs run in the red.
The district has instituted a hiring freeze that has led to larger class sizes. In order to make sure that younger children were not adversely impacted, teachers were realigned so that relatively smaller class sizes were maintained in kindergarten through 2nd grade. The district applies for grants in all areas where it qualifies, participates in co-op purchases for property and health insurance, as well as looks for cost efficiencies in negotiating district-wide contracts.
Registration fees and fees for participation in athletic programs have also been increased. This way, those who benefit the most also pay the most.
Implementing financial controls over spending is a real balancing act. We want to make sure that we are able to address needs as they arise to avoid costly corrections later.
