The District 205 board and administration are poised to do what they have to end their deficit spending.
This year’s tentative budget is $1.2 million in the red.
Finance Superintendent Jennifer Hamm says most of that deficit comes from salary and benefit increases, but similar increases would double the deficit next year if nothing is done.
Last night, Superintendent Ralph Grimm suggested looking at raising the property tax levy for the transportation and tort funds.
Transportation is currently levied at nine and a half cents per $100 in Equalized Assessed Value, when it could be as much as 20 cents.
He’s also recommending raising the tort fund levy by 25 cents, which has no legal precedent on how much it can be raised.
“It’s going to be dependent on what happens with our Equalized Assessed evaluation,” Grimm told board members. “If that goes up, those numbers could come down a penny or two. We also need to look and see what our fund balances are in some of our other accounts. So, maybe we don’t need to levy a normal amount in IMRF or Social Security.”
Grimm said definitively that the district is at least 2-3 years away from even considering a reconfiguration to allow for a school closing.
Member Wayne Statham repeated a comment from last year that “we can’t tax our way out of this deficit.”Member Josh Gibb seemed to favor a mix of cutting and raising revenue.
Board President Bob Lindstrom proposed getting rid of the high school’s block system as a way to save money and improve student service.
