Minooka School District 201 adopts budget with increasing state aid

Minooka School District 201 adopted its 2018-19 budget during the regular board of education meeting Monday.

District Business Manager Mary Robinson gave her report to the board and noted a few significant changes to the budget since it was put on display in July.

Under the district revenues, the district saw increases in a few areas. The general state aid increased by $241,031 for a total of $12,741,031, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. The Grundy County Special Education Cooperative reported revenues had increased in some areas, in assumption that the district would receive three current year payments along with the final fiscal 2018 payment. The regular transportation reimbursement has also been increased based on the 2017-18 transportation claim, according to the documents.

One large hit to the district revenue was the denial of the Early Childhood Grant, which last year brought in $325,000 for the program.

District Superintendent Kris Monn said the increase in general state aid of $241,031 made this denial sting less, but officials will continue to appeal. The first appeal was denied. Monn said other districts had the same thing happen, and he was not aware of any who had their denial overturned. The district will apply to the yearly grant again before the next academic year.

There also were a few expenditure changes to the original budget presented in July. Robinson noted all staff salaries had been updated, as well as the four percent board approved salary increases. According to the report, the transportation bus lease had been updated to reflect the most recent bus lease, and total lease payments were documented to be $307,115. The cost of a new replacement van was added to the transportation equipment budget in the amount of $35,000.

Along with life safety increases, an additional $25,000 was added to cover a roof project at Minooka Junior High School.

The operating funds, which include education, operations, transportation, municipal retirement, working cash and tort funds has an operating surplus of $129,645.

According to Robinson’s report, the district’s total revenues, which add debt service, capital projects and life safety funds to the operating funds, estimate $50,225,992 against total estimated expenses of $52,090,271. Expenditures were $1,864,279 over revenues in the non-operating funds mostly because of the life safety projects, which previously were approved and completed this summer.

A full budget can be found on the district’s website under electronic board packets and the Sept. 17 regular board meeting agenda.

Monn brought a revision of the site plan of the proposed new fifth- to eighth-grade school to be built on Seil Road in Shorewood, which will be built if the referendum passes at the November election. He said the village of Shorewood required the school site to include the construction of Waterstone Drive to the east of the property rather than an access road. The cost of the new plans will be $30,000. Monn said the road will be a village road.

Board member Vicki Allen asked Monn for an update on the referendum. Monn said he will schedule informational meetings in larger groups, not the Parent Teacher Organization meetings, as the attendance varied. He also said he planned to host meetings in government areas in Minooka and Channahon and with various organizations, including the Shorewood Glen housing area.