District 300 school board hopefuls discuss finances, programs
Candidates vying to lead the Community Unit District 300 school board say ongoing challenges with state funding might force the district to tighten its belt and evaluate spending and programs.
Incumbents Kathleen Burley and Anne Miller, both of Algonquin, face challengers Nicole Beyer of Algonquin, Leslie LaMarca of Pingree Grove, Mary McNicholas of West Dundee, and David Scarpino of Hampshire in running for three 4-year term seats in Tuesday's election.
Miller, 58, an attorney seeking her sixth term, said financial problems will continue to arise "especially when you have a state that hasn't passed a budget and you have a poor school funding formula."
While the district is on solid ground with its current union contracts, the possibility of a future pension cost shift from the state and a federally mandated voucher system for schools could strain finances further, she added.
"It's a constant evaluation," said Miller adding, district officials might have to consider increasing the fund balance above the current 25 percent threshold to brace against any hits.
Future challenges for district leaders include a tax increment financing district proposed for 184 acres at the northwest corner of Routes 59 and 72, which could be developed into a mix of more than 1,000 apartments and houses bringing an influx of students. The development also would have a commercial component.
District 300 stands to lose about $42 million during the 23-year life span of the TIF district. Officials are trying to negotiate with Hoffman Estates on future impact fees for potential students from that development and possibly land and funding allocations for a future school.
Burley said while district leaders don't want to push away new growth, "We can't absorb the cost of whatever students are brought into the district alone.
"Anytime we need to build a school we have to do a referendum," she said. "We don't have the money right now to build a new school."
She said she's concerned about a pension cost shift and uncertainty over school vouchers. The district offers a variety of choices for students, including a charter school, an Accelerate College program through Elgin Community College, dual language courses, and career pathway programs in technical fields while maintaining healthy reserves, she added.
"We have been extremely frugal," Burley said. "We are still operating at $2,000 under the state average per pupil even with one-to-one (digital devices) program, pathway program, and full-day kindergarten."
McNicholas, 20, a 2014 graduate of Dundee-Crown High School, said though the district is not in financial trouble, it needs to be cautious with its spending.
"The idea of a property tax freeze is scary," she said. "We have a $12 million surplus. We have a great fund balance."
She also supports expanding the district's dual language program, access to the Accelerate College program and providing transportation for those students.
Scarpino, 63, a retired District 300 associate superintendent, said he supports regularly reviewing the cost effectiveness of each educational program to ensure sustainability.
"Before you add something, you need to truly look at the cost," he said adding, costs of educating students, including employees' salaries and benefits, increase every year. "Every one of us wants to do what's best for the kids. All of them come at a cost."
LaMarca, 47, who serves on the governing board of Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove, said the district's budget looks healthy and officials have made huge strides the last couple of years toward building up reserves.
"We live in a scary time," she said. "Our district keeps growing."
She also advocates for increasing the district's reserve fund to 30 percent of operating expenses and expanding the pathway and dual language programs. "It's not so much about integrating new things ... It's about making the programs that we have succeed and more robust."
Beyer, 27, an assistant bowling coach at Jacobs High School, said it's worth examining whether money is being spent in the right places and whether allocations to schools are equitable. For example, she said, comparing two of the district's high schools - Jacobs vs. Dundee-Crown - there is a drastic difference in performance.
"There's a huge disparity in success rates, test scores," she said. "I'd like to see programs that allow those kids who are behind to catch up."
Beyer said she would like to expand the Accelerate College program and offer more reading and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programming.