Both revenues and operating costs will remain stable for Glenbrook High School District 225 for the ongoing academic year, with property taxes also remaining stable, per a budget approved by the school board last week.
The district plans to spend $147.6 million for fiscal year 2021-22, all but nearly $700,000 of which will be covered by direct revenues from local property taxes as well as regular state and federal funding. Residents will pay about 4% more in taxes than last year but less than prior to COVID-19.
The pandemic is not expected to significantly affect the operations budget for fiscal year 2021-22, though changes in interest rates could curtail spending on construction and other capital projects for the near future, associate superintendent for business services R.J. Gravel told Pioneer Press.
Preliminary data indicates the district spent some $155.8 million on operating costs for the 2020-21 school year, including $5 million on COVID-19-related expenses like regular testing for teachers since the pandemic began; part of that cost has been offset by the receipt of some $1.1 million in federal stimulus payments, as well as saving on regular expenses such as student travel.
“Adding those up certainly helped defray the costs of COVID,” Gravel said, “but those expenses, unfortunately, are still realistic and coming in.”
COVID-19 is expected to cost the district between $7 million to $8 million through next year, Gravel said.
The pandemic will have a more significant effect on capital projects like new construction and repairs to existing facilities. The Federal Reserve’s lower borrowing rate means interest to the district has decreased by an almost threefold margin.
To offset that loss of revenue, $1.5 million will be transferred from the district’s operations fund to fund approved capital projects.
“Some enhancements [to district facilities], maybe we could defer, but other enhancements are essential,” Gravel said. “It’s your routine repairing of your roof, your replacement of parking lots or paving of parking lots, crack filling on sidewalks.”
District officials will meet later this month to determine how to move forward on planned capital improvements, Gravel said.
The district increased student fees to cover the cost of purchasing all instructional materials for students, a practice District 225 abandoned in 1953. The change will offset costs for lower income-students and save all students money via the greater purchasing power of the district, according to Gravel.
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The district will also pay $676,914 as part of ongoing debt payments, out of its debt service fund. The district plans to be free of all current debt by December 2027.
Joshua Irvine is a freelance reporter.