Ten of the 18 Chicago-area school districts placed Wednesday on the state`s ”financial watch list” because of low fund balances at the end of the last school year are in the south suburbs.
The list, released by the Illinois State Board of Education, includes seven districts in southern Cook and three from Will County.
Three of the districts are on the list for the second year: Lincoln Elementary District 156 in Calumet City, Brookwood Elementary 167 in Glenwood and Chicago Heights Elementary 170.
The newly added districts are Worth Elementary District 127, Patton Elementary 133 in Riverdale, Prairie Hills Elementary 144 in Hazel Crest, Dolton Elementary 149, Chaney-Monge District 88 in Crest Hill, Milne-Kelvin Grove District 91 in Lockport and Plainfield District 202.
At the same time, four districts listed last year improved their fiscal year-end bank balances enough to get off the list: Atwood Heights Elementary School 125 in Oak Lawn, Country Club Hills Elementary 160, Troy Community Consolidated 30-C in Shorewood and Crete-Monee Community Unit District 201-U. In all, 116 of the 953 Illinois school districts were put on the financial watch list, an increase of three from the year before.
The watch list, compiled by the State Board of Education, is regarded as an early warning of a district`s deteriorating financial condition and a prod to make adjustments. Any district whose cash balance as of last June 30 was less than 5 percent of its total yearly revenues was included.
”We used to be a very prosperous area,” said James Cunneen, superintendent of Dolton District 149. ”With the closing of steel mills and blue-collar industries, we have lost much of our tax base. The amount of tax dollars is less than other parts of the county, but we still have to pay the same bills.”
Voters approved a tax increase in November that will solve District 149`s financial problems, Cunneen said.
Officials of the Worth, Brookwood and Chicago Heights districts said they were placed on the list because they borrowed money to pay teachers`
salaries late in the school year.
Brookwood officials said in a statement that they have repaid the money, and the listing ”conveys the wrong impression.” Chicago Heights officials said that district`s loan has also been paid off.
Prairie Hills District 144 is trying to dig itself out of previous deficit spending, said Supt. Cuttie W. Bacon III. ”We now have a practice of not spending more than we take in,” Bacon said.
Lincoln District 156 was put on the watch list for not having enough cash on hand as well as for borrowing to pay teachers, said Supt. George Obradovich.
The district has been on shaky ground for years and has been forced into deficit spending, he said. ”Do you just provide what your resources allow and shortchange students?” he asked. ”Or do you provide what`s necessary and go into debt?”
Plainfield District 202 had to weather not only a loss of state funding but a tornado as well. The twister of August 1990 destroyed Plainfield High School and Grand Prairie Elementary School.
”Without the tornado expenses, we were close to being on the list,”
said Supt. Roland Smith. ”With the tornado, we were definitely on it.”
Chaney-Monge District 88 has a referendum on the March 17 ballot for a tax increase that it says would improve its finances sufficiently to get off the list.
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Milne-Kelvin Grove District 91 approved a higher tax rate three years ago and Supt. Bill Rutter expects the district to be off next year`s watch list.