Politics & Government
D-15's Budget Woes Discussed At Forum
Approximately a dozen residents attended D-15's informational session for community members; about 40 staff listened in at an earlier afternoon session.
Community Consolidated School District 15 held two budget information forums for district staff and community members Monday, Dec. 5.
The school district is facing a budget deficit of between $9 million and $10 million for fiscal year 2012-2013. The purpose of the forums will be to seek stakeholder input on finding solutions to D-15's structural deficit and prioritize the list of budget cuts.
D-15 Superintendent Scott Thompson led the presentation outlining the district's current economic situation and how its finances compare to other school districts in the state.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The 34 slide Powerpoint presentation "School Finances 101 and Planning for the Future" explained how the district gets 82 percent of its revenues from local property taxes and only 12 percent from the State of Illinois.
Property tax revenue increases every year by the Consumer Price Index, which was 1.5 percent last year. The district also sees some increase in property tax revenue from property development.
Find out what's happening in Palatinewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
D-15's property tax revenue has grown from approximately $100 million in 2006 to an anticipated $120 million in 2014.
How the district spends its money and why it maintains cash reserves was also discussed with the dozen or so community members who were present.
No date has been set but additional forums will be held in January 2012 to present a list of potential budget reductions for the 2012-2013 school year.
