841 West End Court, Vernon Hills, IL, 60061 - (847)990.4200 | Learning for All, Working Together and Doing Whatever It Takes!



In other news


Board Approves 2011-12 Budget
posted, Tue, September 13, 2011 | viewed 596 times. | print friendly | send to a friend


During the September 12 meeting, the Hawthorn Board of Education approved the 2011-12 budget outlining $47,849,571 in operating expenditures and $51,841,033 in total expenditures and transfers. Of that total, $35,750,985 (68.9 percent) is earmarked directly for instruction and instructional support.


Quick Comparison: This year’s total expenditure budget is $1,921,587 over last year’s plan and $848,190 less than the 2009-10 total expenditure budget.


Cuts and Keeps:  The budget incorporates nearly $1.5 million in gap-closing initiatives identified by the Financial Advisory Task Force, including position eliminations (lunch/recess supervisors, health clerks, copy clerks, teacher clerks), salary adjustments, student fee increases, insurance savings and more. That said, Hawthorn did not cut any student programs or services in order to maintain a balanced budget. Further, while the district eliminated positions, we were able to hire back personnel who qualified for other open positions.


Tuition-Based Kindergarten/PreSchool Status:  The budget includes $1 million to address facilities needs for developing an optional tuition-based full-day kindergarten and/or preschool, which has been identified as a sustainable revenue source and an interest in the community. There is no revenue from these programs built into this budget, though such revenue is built into our five-year financial projections. We will continue to keep the community updated on this effort as any plans proceed.


Economic Impacts:  As expected, the stalled economy has had a major negative impact on all organizations, including Hawthorn. It has become difficult to rely on state funds. Locally, we have experienced a continued downward trend in the equalized assessed values (EAV) of properties and a slowdown in new construction, which coupled with a low Consumer Price Index (CPI), results in decreased property tax revenue. (Approximately 76 percent of District revenue comes from property taxes.)


Enrollment Trends: The Hawthorn student population has grown each year since 2007-08, when the total housed K-8 population was approximately 3504 student. We started this school year with just over 4,000 student, including those in HELPs (Hawthorn Early Learning Programs).


Financial Projections:  Looking forward, projections compiled by the consultant PMA expect that revenue over the next five years will increase by approximately $1 million per year to $50.2 million in fiscal year 2016, as compared with expenditure projections of $53.1 million - the bulk of the expenses due to salaries and benefits.


Proactive Planning:  Hawthorn continues to proactively and conservatively plan for the future. Part of that effort includes the ongoing work of the volunteer Financial Advisory Task Force, which will reconvene at the District Office at 6 p.m. on October 17 to continue their analysis. Thank you to this dedicated group for their efforts on behalf of the entire community.


More Information:  Information about the budget process, including Financial Advisory Task Force reports, preliminary numbers, and PMA projections, is available on the Hawthorn District website, specifically on the financial web page (http://www.hawthorn73.org/finance). For additional information, contact Superintendent Sue Zook (847-990-4244; .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) or Director of Finance & Business Operations Brad Goldstein (847-990-4221; .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)).

 



Back to previous page