The Examiner U-46 News FeedDist. U-46 budget attracts negative public comments By Seth Hancock
The Board of Education in School District U-46 is set to vote on the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which is $5.9 million in deficit, at its upcoming meeting on Monday, Sept. 26.
The budget shows total spending hikes of $35.6 million, or 5.4 percent, from $660.8 million to $696.4 million, and revenue increases of $28.2 million, or 4.3 percent, from $662.3 million to $690.5 million. The budget also shows a projected enrollment decline, from 36,049 to 35,202 (2.3 percent), with enrollment reductions projected to reach 33,676 by 2024-2025.
This will be the eighth straight year of spending increases and enrollment declines. Additionally, the district again plans to hike the property tax levy by the largest amount allowed under the law.
The board held a public hearing at its Sept. 12 meeting, and three comments were made blasting the district for this ongoing trend as well as the lack of results.
Rick Newton asked questions about accountability metrics. He noted that proficiency numbers in the state report card are abysmal, yet there seems to be no accountability for the board and staff, specifically Superintendent Tony Sanders who was just given a recent contract extension.
The most up to date numbers are largely from 2019 as COVID has been used by the state as a reason why proficiency scores have not been updated.
“When you look at those numbers, they are nothing to go out and brag about,” Newton said. “They are very low right now. There’s some ups and downs, but the highest ones are not all that great.”
Newton added: “I would hope that we could get some response as to what is being done. I’m not talking about the strategic plan. I’m talking about actual improvements, and what is the scorecard. What does it look like?”
Crystal Cristescu listed items in the budget she did not approve of using taxpayer dollars on while the district has discontinued a reading program, Reading Strategies, that she said has been effective.
Corina Gomez, reading a statement on behalf of someone unable to make the meeting, said Sanders and the board are responsible for “dumbing down the children,” and “the audacity to continue to hike spending within a school system that has yearly declining enrollment and third world proficiency scores” should result in Sanders losing his job and the board members losing their seats.
The board offered no discussion or asked any questions on the budget after the public comments.
Under this budget, spending will have increased 62 percent and enrollment will have declined 13.5 percent since 2012 when expenditures were at $430 million and enrollment at 40,687.
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