The Examiner U-46 News Feed

U-46 to hike spending as enrollment declines again

By Seth Hancock
  School District U-46 is planning to increase spending by $78.9 million ($696.4 million to $775.3 million), an 11.3 percent increase, under the 2023-2024 tentative budget presented to the Board of Education at its Monday, Aug. 21 meeting.
  The budget will be the ninth straight of spending increases with enrollment declines as it projects a 2.3 percent drop in student population to 31,484 with only 56 percent of building capacity utilized.
  A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 11. A board vote is expected on Sept. 25.
  The budget proposal states “equity,” not education, is the budget’s “mindset” by spending taxpayer dollars “to areas of greater need as well as addressing climate and culture issues.” Spending is “based on need rather than enrollment alone,” the proposal states.
  Revenue is set to increase by $36 million ($690.5 million to $726.5 million), a 5.2 percent increase, for a $48.8 million deficit.
  However, the budget is considered in balance by $1.2 million based on government financing rules as $50 million in spending comes from other financing sources, that being the issuance of bonds after the voter approved referendum last spring.
  The largest increase in revenue is in the so-called “evidence-based” funding from the state, $233.2 million to $254.2 million ($21 million increase). The district plans to seek the largest property tax increase allowed under the law with that revenue increasing $10.1 million to $342.8 million total, and other local revenue is expected to increase $12.6 million to $31 million total.
  The largest expenditures are salaries and benefits, increasing 4.4 percent from $465.5 million to $485.9 million. Staff is expected to remain flat at 4,388.
  The largest spending increase is capital outlay, $53 million to $111.2 million. Dale Burnidge, director of financial operations, said that is based on capital projects funded by the new bonds, such as the conversion of Bartlett’s Hawk Hallow from an elementary to middle school.
  The budget’s forecast shows spending above $800 million by next year, $802.8 million by 2026-2027. Enrollment is expected to decline by about 1,000 students a year the next three years, eventually to 38,402.
  Spending was $430 million and enrollment at 40,687 in 2012. This year, spending will have increased 80.3 percent and enrollment declining by 22.6 percent since then, and spending will have increased 86.7 percent and enrollment declined by 30.2 percent in 2026-2027 if the projections are realized.
  Of note, The Examiner observed an anomaly in the enrollment numbers. The district states actual enrollment of 32,224 last year when enrollment of 35,338 was reported last October.