DeKalb school district’s $132M spending budget plans for new elementary school, capital improvements

DeKALB – With spending earmarked for a new elementary school, relocating a special education program from the high school and various capital improvement projects, the DeKalb School District 428 board recently approved its $132.6 million spending budget for fiscal 2024.

In an unanimous vote at a recent school board meeting, the district adopted its annual operating budget, which projects $132.6 million in revenue and $130.2 million in expenses – a difference of about $2.3 million.

Armir Doka, the district’s director of business and finance, said there were a few changes since the board last reviewed the budget in its tentative form.

“We got some reimbursement from [the Special Education Orphanage Act] and food service supply chain [disruption,]” Doka said. “That’s usually reserved for food services. That’s reimbursement for us and we did get some grants that we did not know at the time that were approved. With these grants, these are in and out. But the reimbursements are mostly revenues.”

The district continues to receive aid from the state through evidence-based funding. However, the district is expected to receive a smaller tier of this assistance going forward.

Doka noted that the district has been receiving the largest tier of evidence-based funding from the state to relieve the financial burden imposed upon taxpayers.

The district projects that it is at 54% with reserves with its fiscal 2024 operating budget, officials said. The district’s fund balance policy stipulates that the leadership should strive to maintain 20% to 30% of fund balance to operating expenditures.

Doka said that financially speaking, the district is in a good spot.

“It is very healthy,” Doka said. “We are in a very good financial position.”