District 211 adopts $256.4 million budget

Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board members voted 5-1 to adopt their final $256.4 million budget for the new school year.

Board Member Pete Dombrowski cast the dissenting vote, saying he opposed the district's practice of using the rate of inflation to set each year's property tax levy. He also said last year's $15 million surplus exceeded the mark the district should be aiming for.

District administrators explained that last year's surplus was the result of several factors unlikely to recur, including receiving four state-aid payments when only three were budgeted.

Costs in the new budget show a 1.2 percent reduction from actual spending last year, while the budgeted revenues of $249.5 million show a 0.2 percent reduction.

Board Member Lauanna Recker was absent from the vote.