Cary Elementary District 26 to hear hard truths

Two important items will be on the agenda Monday when the Cary Elementary District 26 finance committee meets.

One is an update from state education officials. District 26 staff have been in discussions with the Illinois State Board of Education about the possibility that the district, ranked fifth-worst in the state in terms of finances, could be taken over by the state.

So far, state officials have said District 26, which had made deep cuts and elected to go to referendum in the fall, is doing the right things to avoid that scenario.

But on Monday, school board members will hear the stark truth from an actual official at the state board.

Of particular interest will be whether the board's decision to ask taxpayers for more money will improve the district's standing with the state and whether a failed referendum would push the district closer to a takeover.

Less dramatic will be an update on the potential sale of Maplewood School. The board delayed a decision on selling the property last month because board members wanted more information on the cost of retrofitting the building and 10-year enrollment projections.

Board members have said they're on board with a consultant's recommendation to sell the building, the oldest in the district, but want to make sure the decision is in the best long-term interests of the district.

The decision, though, could have a not-negligible affect on the short-term interests of the district. Officials estimated last year that the Maplewood sale could generate $2.4 million for the district.

While that's not an astronomical sum, in a smaller district like District 26, which could be facing $4 million in additional cuts even if a tax increase passes, proceeds from the sale could be a significant help in avoiding further cuts and a state takeover.

It's not clear, though, how much the sale would help because, I'm told, officials have accounted for the potential sale of Maplewood in making their budget projections - at least to a degree.

The district also has a logistical issue to resolve before it can sell the site. Unless the new property owner doesn't mind the smell and rumble of buses refueling next door, the district would most likely have to relocate its bus garage from its current location on the Maplewood property.

If the finance committee can reach a consensus on selling Maplewood on Monday, sending the issue to the full board, administration can start working on this and other problems with the urgency appropriate for District 26's fiscal crisis.