Some of the largest school districts serving McHenry County are encountering more financial savings than additional expenses so far during the COVID-19 pandemic, in part thanks to remote learning and federal financial aid, according to interviews with budget officials in five of the county’s biggest public education systems.
The savings from decreased usage of transportation staff and fuel, smaller utility bills and unplanned savings on other budget line items outweighed the extra costs tied to teaching students virtually in Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300, Woodstock School District 200 and Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155.