Dist. 220 plans to cut $2.6 million from budget

Barrington Area Unit District 220 will spend around $2.6 million less this school year, but the district's top official said officials are working hard to make sure the quality of education is not diminished.

During a presentation at the school board meeting Tuesday night, Tim Neubauer, the assistant superintendent for business services, said the cuts will be made to operations staff, supplies and transportation. Notably, the IT department will be downsized by the equivalent of 10.5 full-time workers. The tech department employed 37 support staff members last year, and 26 of them were on this year's honorable dismissal list.

Superintendent Brian Harris said the proposed budget also calls for fewer administrative and clerical employees.

"It is going to have an impact on the operations of the district, but all of our reductions are not affecting programs," Harris said. "And obviously not affecting class sizes."

District officials anticipate revenue will be down next year in part because the Consumer Price Index is expected to be at its lowest level since 2008. The state tax cap limits school district levy increases to 5 percent or the increase in the CPI, whichever is lower. And nearly 85 percent of the district's revenue comes from local taxpayers.

Under the proposed budget, the district will take in $137,226,226 and spend $134,708,834.

If the budget is approved, it will be the second straight year the district has significantly reduced spending. Neubauer said the 2015-16 budget was around $700,000 less than the previous year's. It also would be the 20th consecutive year the district has passed a balanced budget and continue to have a AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor's.

The proposed budget will be uploaded to the school district's website today so it can be viewed by the public in the weeks before the board is scheduled to vote on it.

The school board will host a hearing on the budget at the Sept. 6 board meeting at Barrington High.

Board members are expected to vote on the budget at their Sept. 20 meeting at the Early Learning Center.