Dist. 103 board OKs budget that includes additions at 2 schools
The Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 board on Tuesday approved a $39.9 million budget for the new fiscal year.
The projected spending total is greater than usual because it includes $8.5 million for additions at Half Day and Sprague schools.
Work is scheduled to begin in early 2017 and be done by late summer - in time for the start of the 2017-18 school year.
"A good portion of that construction project is going to happen over this fiscal year," Assistant Superintendent for Business Dan Stanley said during Tuesday's school board meeting.
The project will carry over slightly into the 2018 fiscal year. As such, about $5.5 million will be set aside in next year's budget for that portion of the work, officials have said.
The new fiscal year began July 1.
The additions at Sprague and Half Day are the big projects in the budget.
At Sprague, crews will add classrooms and make some minor renovations to the existing building.
Half Day will get new classrooms and additional space for music. Some space in the existing building will be converted to group instructional areas, too.
The additions will allow all fifth-grade classrooms to move from Wright Junior High to Half Day School, effective in the 2017-18 school year.
Once that happens, Sprague will serve early childhood classes through the second grade; Half Day will handle third- through fifth-graders; and Wright will host sixth-through eighth-grade classes.
As for the new budget, district officials expect to collect about $31.8 million in property taxes, fees and other revenue during the 2017 fiscal year.
The construction projects are responsible for the gap between anticipated expenses and revenue. Officials plan to pay for the expansions with cash savings and loans.