District 202 Board Approves $2.4 Million Surplus Budget

PLAINFIELD, IL — The District 202 Board of Education has approved a 2019-20 operating budget with a surplus of up to $2.4 million. The vote came Monday after a public hearing.

The approved FY 2020 budget will allow District 202 to maintain high-quality educational programs while continuing to develop and implement a responsible, sustainable financial plan, said Rick Engstrom, assistant superintendent for business and operations.

In a statement released by the district, Engstrom said the plan also:

• keeps property taxes as low as possible
• is balanced
• maintains “Recognition” status (the highest possible ranking) on the State Board of Education’s Financial Profile.

The surplus comes seven years after District 202 earned "watch" status — the lowest possible status — from the state board of education in 2012, when the board approved an $8.9 million deficit budget. By 2016, the district had reached the highest status, "recognition."

Revenue and expenses

District 202’s total approved 2019-20 budget including debt service and capital projects is $325.9 million, up 4.5 percent from $311.6 million last year. Total revenues are expected to be $327.7 million in 2019-20, also up 4.5 percent from $313.6 last year.

The operating budget pays for all daily operating expenses including salaries and benefits, which comprise about 79 percent of the Operating Budget this year.

The 2019-20 operating budget as approved shows $276 million in anticipated revenues, down from $283.5 million last year.

The preliminary proposed 2019-20 operating budget shows $273.6 million in expected expenses, down from $275.9 million last year.

Budget highlights

As usual, salaries and benefits comprise about 79 percent of the approved 2019-20 operating expenses. Salaries and benefits are expected to total about $227.5 million, which is up about 5.4 percent, or $11.7 million, over the 2018-19 figure of $215.8.

The budget includes:

• 3 percent raises for administration and non-union support staff;
• raises averaging 2.75 percent plus a .5 percent increase to their base pay for Association of Plainfield Teachers (APT) members will receive;
• raises averaging 4.5 percent for Plainfield Association of Support Staff (PASS) members per the new five-year contract approved in April 2019;
• 2 percent increases in benefit.

The final 2019-20 budget includes 30 new staff positions including 20 new social workers. School-level funding will not change, and departmental initiatives will be fully funded.

The fiscal plan also includes $4.6 million for assorted capital projects and $2.8 million for additional technology initiatives and equipment.

District 202 Reveals Location Of New Elementary School

The final budget also includes a $1 million contingency for building-specific enrollment changes and special education needs, as has been done the last several years.

Finally, District 202 operates more efficiently than the state average in nearly every category:

• Instructional spending per student — $6,044 versus the state average of $8,024
• Operational spending per student — $9,895 versus the state average of $13,894
• Pupil to Elementary Teacher Ratio — 19 students to every teacher, the same as the state average
• Pupil to High School Teacher Ratio — 24 students to every teacher versus the state average of 19 students
• Administrator to Student Ratio — 192 students to every administrator versus the state average of 181