The Examiner U-46 News FeedDistrict U-46 Board set for vote on latest budget By Seth Hancock
The Board of Education in School District U-46 is expected to vote on the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, which continues the trend of budget increases with enrollment declines for a seventh straight year, at its upcoming meeting on Monday, Sept. 27.
The budget was presented, although there was no board discussion, at the Sept. 13 meeting.
Spending is set to rise $61.3 million (10.2 percent) to $660.8 million and revenue by $59.9 million (9.9 percent) to $662.3 million. The district projects to be at 64 percent capacity after a loss of 451 students for a total enrollment of 36,049, but U-46 46 projected to lose 483 students last year but actually lost 1,391 when official numbers were presented in November.
Under this budget, spending will have risen 53.7 percent but enrollment will have declined 11.4 percent since 2012. The district expects to keep hemorrhaging students at an average of 791 a year for the foreseeable future, eventually falling to an enrollment level of 33,676 by the 2024-2025 school year.
Salary and benefits are the largest spending item at $446 million, a $26 million increase (6.2 percent) from $420 million last year. As is its custom, the district will ask for the largest property tax increase, the largest revenue item, allowed under the law taking an additional $5.5 million from local taxpayers for a $324.6 million total, up from $319.1 million.
Also set for a Sept. 27 vote is a $37,872 contract, to be paid for by the nation’s taxpayers through grant funds, with Don Johnston.
The contract will “provide district-wide site licenses to the Co:Writer accessibility software to support students who have more significant difficulty with grammar and spelling,” the proposal states.
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