The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill Correspondent
The tentative budget for the 2024-2025 school year at Illini West High School was approved by the board during their regular meeting Aug. 21.
A public hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 18, at the beginning of the next board meeting, allowing time for the public to make comment. The proposed budget is currently on display on the district webpage or at the Illini West High School district office. It is expected to be acted on during the September meeting.
Superintendent Jay Harnack explained his budgeting strategy.
“Transportation is always difficult to balance,” Harnack said. “Every year that I have been here it’s at the edge. Now that we have more kids, we will have more students riding the buses. Our goal is not to take in any more than we spend.”
The budget anticipates spending just a little over $120,500 more than the district will take in, for the five main funds – education, operations and maintenance, transportation, working cash and tort.
The total estimated revenue to these five funds is $5,661,000, with anticipated expenses of $5,781,503. Current balances held by the district will cover any deficit in the year’s budget. No deficit reduction plan is required.
Harnack said the district is in a good financial position. He anticipated that the tax rate would remain flat or possibly go down slightly. They will be levying less for tort, Social Security and IMRF.
“This will be the first year without federal pandemic-related funding. Most districts are making an adjustment,” Harnack said. The district has not positioned itself to rely on those funds for basic needs.
Principal Amanda Congdon reported a good start to the school year. Harnack thanked Congdon for her work to make the school run efficiently, and still provide all that the students need.
Congdon noted that the freshman class this year is 111 students, Grant Surprenant added that numbers are up in many sports. One of the north portables will be used as a freshman-only football dressing room.
“Definitely, related to extracurricular activities, we are seeing that post-Covid rebound. Students are wanting to get out and participate,” Harnack said.
Through a grant at Memorial Hospital, the district will have more counseling services available to students.
“With our own counselor, we are going to have a really nice triage of counseling services. That still remains a need,” Harnack said.
Two more new teachers were hired for the school year as permanent substitute teachers.
McKenna Merritt and John Amschler will co-teach agriculture classes. Merritt was hired as the FFA sponsor. Amschler was hired as FFA assistant and greenhouse advisor. Dennis Dooley was hired as head softball coach.
In his report, Harnack said the electrical work has been completed for the dressing rooms going into the former district office. A quote for new carpeting has been secured, and the architect-approved drawing for the addition of a new entrance to the locker room has been received.
Some outside labor will be required, but much of the work, such as installing lockers, can be done in-house, according to Harnack. They should be completed before the basketball season.
No students will have classes in the north portable classrooms this fall. Harnack thanked the summer help for their work, citing Roger Duffy, Chandler Moon, Kim Barr, Lisa Duffy, Vince Parker, and Gail Duffy.
In other action, the board approved first reading of new board policies and policy updates. They declared a 2015 yellow school bus, and a 2007 Ford van as surplus.