State funding worries lead District 203 to pitch budget cuts
Anticipating potential problems with state funding because legislators concluded their session without a budget agreement, Naperville Unit District 203 is proposing $792,500 worth of cuts to its next spending plan.
The cuts bring the budgeted spending for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to $266,011,043 while projected revenue is $272,630,550.
Factoring out $2.3 million the district plans to spend on construction projects to expedite safety improvements on several building entrances, the decrease brings the new budget roughly in line with this year's spending, said Brad Cauffman, chief financial officer.
Board members said they appreciate the reductions proposed in the weeks before they are set to vote on the budget June 20. The cuts would bring budgeted costs closer in line with actual spending by making reductions in special education supplies, assessment and testing, professional services, executive administrative services, special area administrative services, other support services and salaries.
Board member Jackie Romberg called the proposed cuts a reflection of a "different philosophy" of budgeting that "trues up" estimated spending rather than leaving additional funds in the budget to remain unspent.
"Anything we can do to increase the fidelity and accuracy of our budget is something I support even if it's late in the game," board member Mike Jaensch said.
Superintendent Dan Bridges said District 203 is in a better position than many across the state because 90 percent of its funding comes from local sources. Still, he called on state lawmakers to find a way to fund K-12 education, saying a continued lack of a budget will hurt even relatively well-resourced districts.
"We won't be plugging along just fine," Bridges said. "This is going to impact us. Not having a (state) budget will hurt."
But even if the summer continues without a state budget, Bridges said District 203 does plan to welcome students for the next school year Wednesday, Aug. 17.
Administrators have begun looking at additional cuts that can be made if necessary such as delaying purchases and construction projects that don't relate to health and safety, suspending travel and conference attendance and delaying or reducing community relations expenditures, Bridges said.