The Glencoe District 35 school board has received a tentative budget for the next fiscal year highlighted by salary and benefit increases along with bumps in state and federal aid.
Jason Edelheit, District 35’s director of finance and operations, presented the tentative 2020 budget at a June 6 meeting. The $28.3 million proposed budget contains a 3.35% percent salary increase across the board and a corresponding 4.21% increase in benefits.
In terms of revenue, Edelheit said 95 percent of the district’s money is expected to come from local sources. However, he did project a nearly 9% increase in state funds.
The expected increase is mostly due to special education transportation reimbursements and a spike in federal money that used to go to the North Suburban Special Education District and will now flow directly to District 35 under a change in federal law.
Edelheit predicted there would be some refinements before the final budget is presented to the board in September.
“There are generally some changes and fine tuning,” he said.
He added the property tax levy would be announced in October.
Board President Kelly Glauberman labeled the spending plan as fiscally responsible both in daily spending and for future planning.
“We will continue to monitor any necessary adjustments in anticipation of the final budget hearing in the fall,” Glauberman said by text.
In separate action, the school board unanimously signed off on a five-year extension of an intergovernmental agreement with the village to hire an outside firm that would provide crossing guards at the three district schools.
The pact went into place last year as the village spoke of having trouble finding people willing to serve as crossing guards, necessitating occasionally using public safety officers in that role.
Under the agreement, the school district will pay between $12,500 and $15,000 per year to offset some of the village costs.
The village board passed the extension at their May meeting.