Post by title1parent on Jul 22, 2008 6:49:17 GMT -5
D203 budget increases by more than $26 million
July 22, 2008 SUN
By Tim Waldorf twaldorf@scn1.com
The Naperville School District 203 board approved Monday a 2008-2009 budget that sets forth how it will spend $233.7 million over the next 12 months.
Of course, 80 percent of that money will go toward paying salaries. And while the budget provides for little change in staffing levels, it does accommodate pay increases for school district employees.
District 203's contract with the Naperville Unit Education Foundation provides average raises of 3.8 percent for the district's teachers and 3.6 percent for other staff. It also allows for average raises of 3.8 percent for administrators, with raises for individual administrators ranging from 3 percent to 4 percent.
While the board did vote on Superintendent Alan Leis' evaluation, it did not act on a salary increase. Leis said the board is expected to do so at its Aug. 18 meeting.
Construction projects also account for a sizeable chunk of expenses this year. Roughly $20.6 million of the district's $26.8 million spending increase - from $206.9 million to $233.7 million - is associated with the four-year, $115 million facility improvement plan the district is set to start now that it has voter approval for the projects.
Absent those construction costs, the district's operating expenses for the coming year are only up 2.5 percent, to $211.6 million.
On the other hand, revenue dedicated to covering these operating expenses is expected to increase 2.9 percent, from $216.8 million this year to $223 million in the coming year. About 82 percent of that operating revenue is generated from local property taxes.
The issuance of $43 million of voter-approved building bonds will increase the district's total revenue to $266 million next year.
All of this is expected to come together and ultimately grow the district's cumulative surplus of operating funds by about $6.2 million, from $21.6 million to $27.8 million. That surplus amounts to about 13 percent of the district's operating budget.
Budget highlights
Leis noted that this budget is allowing the district to complete installation of a finance and new human resource information system. This is a joint effort with Indian Prairie School District 204, and it will save each entity "several hundred thousand dollars."
The budget also provides more support for schools with larger populations of low-income students, to ensure that differed fee revenues for these students don't adversely impact the budgets of individual schools.
Also, the budget will allow the district to provide instructional assistants to classrooms with multiple students who have special needs or limited English speaking abilities, and it will add a late run of buses at junior high schools, hoping to help students who couldn't take advantage of after-school instructional assistance due to family transportation issues.
July 22, 2008 SUN
By Tim Waldorf twaldorf@scn1.com
The Naperville School District 203 board approved Monday a 2008-2009 budget that sets forth how it will spend $233.7 million over the next 12 months.
Of course, 80 percent of that money will go toward paying salaries. And while the budget provides for little change in staffing levels, it does accommodate pay increases for school district employees.
District 203's contract with the Naperville Unit Education Foundation provides average raises of 3.8 percent for the district's teachers and 3.6 percent for other staff. It also allows for average raises of 3.8 percent for administrators, with raises for individual administrators ranging from 3 percent to 4 percent.
While the board did vote on Superintendent Alan Leis' evaluation, it did not act on a salary increase. Leis said the board is expected to do so at its Aug. 18 meeting.
Construction projects also account for a sizeable chunk of expenses this year. Roughly $20.6 million of the district's $26.8 million spending increase - from $206.9 million to $233.7 million - is associated with the four-year, $115 million facility improvement plan the district is set to start now that it has voter approval for the projects.
Absent those construction costs, the district's operating expenses for the coming year are only up 2.5 percent, to $211.6 million.
On the other hand, revenue dedicated to covering these operating expenses is expected to increase 2.9 percent, from $216.8 million this year to $223 million in the coming year. About 82 percent of that operating revenue is generated from local property taxes.
The issuance of $43 million of voter-approved building bonds will increase the district's total revenue to $266 million next year.
All of this is expected to come together and ultimately grow the district's cumulative surplus of operating funds by about $6.2 million, from $21.6 million to $27.8 million. That surplus amounts to about 13 percent of the district's operating budget.
Budget highlights
Leis noted that this budget is allowing the district to complete installation of a finance and new human resource information system. This is a joint effort with Indian Prairie School District 204, and it will save each entity "several hundred thousand dollars."
The budget also provides more support for schools with larger populations of low-income students, to ensure that differed fee revenues for these students don't adversely impact the budgets of individual schools.
Also, the budget will allow the district to provide instructional assistants to classrooms with multiple students who have special needs or limited English speaking abilities, and it will add a late run of buses at junior high schools, hoping to help students who couldn't take advantage of after-school instructional assistance due to family transportation issues.