Dist. 214 approves bids for building improvements

Northwest Suburban High School District 214 started moving forward with several scheduled maintenance projects for the year by approving 25 bids totaling more than $4 million.

On Thursday the board unanimously approved the lowest bids for $4.4 million worth of facilities improvements, less than the estimated budget of $4.8 million that was approved for the projects in November.

The bids approved include work at Elk Grove, John Hersey and Prospect High schools, which will be done this summer. The projects include construction, electric, flooding, asbestos abatement and other maintenance work.

The work will mostly be paid for with $20 million in bonds the district approved to sell last fall.

Also on Thursday, the board began to look at preliminary budget guidelines for 2012-13. Deb Parenti, associate superintendent for finance and operations, said that without cuts, the district is projected to run a $4 million deficit.

She added that the district will find places for those cuts and present a balanced budget, but that there are concerns about future funding from the state.

“The one thing we’re certain of is the uncertainty of state funding,” Parenti said.

The district gets about 10 percent of its funding from state and federal sources, with the rest coming from property taxes, but Parenti said the state portion of the budget may decrease further in the next few years.

Board members also expressed concern about the possibility of school districts having to contribute to teacher pension programs, as has been suggested by several politicians in Springfield.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that it’s going to happen, but the legislators created this problem and we’re going to be stuck with it,” said board member Mimi Cooper.

Board member Dan Petro agreed, saying the idea doesn’t solve the problem, only “passes the buck.”