District 181 takes the largest share to support development of the youngest residents
Just a cursory survey of a Hinsdale tax bill reveals where the largest chunk of those proceeds go: Community Consolidated Elementary District 181.
Mindy Bradford, assistant superintendent of business and operations, said that’s because they are by far the district’s single largest source of funding.
“If I look at our overall revenue stream, about 95 percent comes from local revenue sources. Of that, 90 percent is from property taxes,” Bradford said. “It’s vitally important.”
The district is projected to take in $77.7 million in property tax revenue this budget year. Bradford said the single largest deployment of those monies are for paying salaries and benefits for the district’s employees.
“Seventy-nine percent of our operating expenditures are spent on salaries and benefits,” she reported, noting that includes both teaching and support staff.
Crafting fiscally responsible contracts with the district’s two employee unions, Bradford asserted, helps keep that figure from growing too large.
“In the last round of teachers unions negotiations, one of the agreements reached was for the out years of that contract to be tied to the (consumer price index),” she related, noting the CPI is used to calculate the annual property tax levy. “That’s such a significant provision to have those two linked together for us from a planning perspective.”
In addition, the district pays roughly $3 million annually for transportation, a number that has increased post-Covid as bus companies raised their costs.
“That’s about 4 percent of our budget,” she said, adding that the district does get some state reimbursement.
Capital projects comprise another $2.4 million each year.
“We want to make sure that we are keeping up those property investments over time,” Bradford remarked.
The district also tries to schedule bids on summer projects and other work early to get favorable pricing before contractors’ schedules have filled up.
“And are there project we can manage in house (without hiring an architect)? No stone goes unturned looking for ways to either find some additional revenue or minimize cost where possible,” she said.
Debt associated with two current major undertakings — implementing full-day kindergarten across the district and building out a district administration center — is able to be serviced with operating dollars and not a tax-raising referendum, she said. Having that financial wherewithal is a credit to the stewardship of the district’s board and finance committee.
“They are extremely fiscally responsible,” she said. “This school board has a long-term fund balance strategy that guides our decisions. It really permeates throughout the entire organization.”
Technology replacement costs a little more that $1 million a year, and curriculum procurement is typically just under $1 million.
“We want to invest and make sure that everyone’s got the best curriculum that’s fully vetted and tested,” she said.
Close tabs are kept on internal spending.
“We’re having meetings with all our department heads and principals looking at where they are with their budgets through the first quarter,” Bradford said, pointing out that such concerted oversight is not typical based on experience at other school districts.
Staff also is keen to identify potential alternative revenue sources for qualifying items.
“We’re always looking for other opportunities for funding, like grants,” she said, citing a recent maintenance project grant that will cover half of a $100,000 outlay. “Every little bit helps.”
Bradford touted the national awards the district regularly receives for budgeting and financial reporting excellence.
“We continue to get better and better every year,” she said.
Bradford unpacked the district’s fund balance policy, which confines the operating fund balance to 30 percent to 50 percent of annual expenditures. That has resulted in taxpayers getting back $2 million a year in the form of tax abatement when that 50 percent threshold is crossed.
“It’s the only district I’ve been in that has that kind of abatement policy,” she said. “The board really has a relentless focus on being good stewards of taxpayer money. This district has a real commitment to that process.”
