Elmhurst Schools Go $23.5M More In Debt, With 1 Dissent

ELMHURST, IL – The Elmhurst School District 205 board on Tuesday approved $23.5 million in debt to pay for building projects and ensure the district has enough cash on hand.

But board member Courtenae Trautmann, who heads the finance committee, dissented. She did not explain why.

Board members said the debt gives the district financial flexibility if it needs to make changes for the benefit of students. As for its finances, the district is "in a good place," board President Athena Arvanitis said.

Trautmann informed her colleagues that she would vote no.

"I have expressed my concerns and questions about issuing (the debt) during the course of the last board meeting and two finance and operations meetings, so I don't want to belabor the point tonight," she said.

Patch checked the videos from the board and committee meetings since the debt proposal surfaced in early September. Trautmann did not express concerns during those sessions.

On Sept. 10, she had questions about the debt, but appeared satisfied with the answers.

Two weeks later, the board voted for a notice of intent to issue up to $8.5 million of the debt. Trautmann was absent.

Patch left an emailed message for comment with Trautmann on Wednesday.

Whatever the case, Trautmann's no vote was the first for any member since the April election. Former longtime board member Jim Collins, who did not seek re-election, was known to dissent on financial issues.

Of the debt, $8.5 million is working cash bonds to pay for regular building work and keep enough money in the district's bank accounts. The district's annual low cash point gets uncomfortably close to zero.

The board also signed off on $15 million in bond debt to help pay for what are known as "life safety" projects, which are estimated at nearly $20 million.

Under state law, life safety work can include such things as roofs, sprinkler systems, alarms, drills and emergency communication systems.

Last summer, the district completed $168 million in building projects, which voters approved in 2018. The district went into debt for the work.