Politics & Government

Election 2011: District 61 Candidates on Finances

Candidates offer their perspectives on key Darien School District 61 issues.

What are your thoughts on the financial position of the district? How much have delayed state aid payments impacted it? Are you concerned that cuts will be necessary in the near future?

The primary funding sources for our schools come from school fees, local property taxes, county sales tax, state and federal aid, and any borrowing. In our personal lives, we have all been faced with stretching our dollar further and doing more with less, and we are doing it. Our schools are no different. We need to reach out to all our stakeholders to develop cost saving ideas; we must find creative ways to live within our financial means and still provide quality education for our children. A significant percentage of our operating costs are absorbed by salary and benefits, but we still need quality teachers to provide instruction to our children. The reduced and delayed funding from the state has a real and direct impact on our revenue and creates a financial challenge. The board is responsible for continuing to monitor the projected revenues and the financial health of our school district.

The financial position of District #61 is stable for now, but we are in a controlled deficit spending mode. The costs of running the district are higher than the revenue taken in by the district due to the tax cap. Delayed state aid payments have impacted our district but not to the extent of some of the districts in DuPage County. Over the past four years we have cut $2 million from our budget, restructured our facilities into grade level centers and adjusted our busing program. We don't anticipate any big cuts in the near future, since we have done the cutting previously. We have to be careful in our staffing and operations to make sure we have enough money to maintain our curriculum and programs. If things don't change with the funding situation in our state, we will eventually have to make tough decisions to stay solvent.  

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The current board and administration have made some very difficult decisions in the past, which have left us financially secure for the near future. Delayed state payments have served as a caution but have not crippled the district. The majority of our budget does not come from state money, thankfully. Every parent should be concerned that cuts may have to be made. Our district is strong and resilient; we will step up to the financial challenge.


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