Mundelein High board approves new $41.2 million budget
Mundelein High School District 120's newly approved budget shows a slight spending increase over the previous year's fiscal plan.
The school board on Tuesday approved a roughly $41.2 million budget for the 2019 fiscal year, which began July 1. That's a bump of less than 2 percent over the $40.5 million budget for the 2018 fiscal year.
Revenue is expected to increase slightly, too.
The new budget predicts more than $41.8 million in property taxes, fees and other income. That's an increase of less than 1 percent from the previous year's $41.5 million estimate.
Among the bigger projects in the new budget was the recently completed renovation of classrooms and offices into space for a new transition program that will serve students between the ages of 18 and 22 who are still in school because of disabilities and special education needs.
Such students used to attend off-campus programs through the Special Education District of Lake County, but the District 120 school board voted to withdraw from that group in 2017, said Andy Searle, the district's business chief.
The renovation cost about $350,000.
The budget includes cash to renovate the school's foods room, too.
"All new stainless steel cabinets were installed," Searle said.
The project cost about $40,000, but nearly $30,000 of that sum came from grants, Searle said.
The budget doesn't reflect District 120 Superintendent Kevin Myers' upcoming expanded role as chief administrator for Mundelein High Elementary District 75, on top of his District 120 responsibilities. The two districts will begin sharing Myers' services - and sharing his salary burden - starting in the 2020 fiscal year.