Board of Education

Statement read by Tim Costello, District 203 Board President at the January 7, 2002 meeting, held at Lincoln Junior High School.

First, on behalf of the entire of Board of Education, I would again thank the members of the Education for the 21st Century Committee. The committee members worked extremely hard to find solutions to the challenges we now face as a school district. I would also like to thank the members of the Current Status Committee and the Future Direction Committee. The work of all three groups has contributed to and helped the school board in our decision making process. Thank you.

District 203 has been described as a community asset. Our school district is recognized as a model of excellence on the state, national, and even international levels. The quality of a public school system is one of the most important features of a community. Our school district has attracted families and businesses to our communities. Our students are provided with the opportunity to have an excellent education that prepares them for 21st
Century. This community asset is now at risk. The high quality education we now offer our students is at risk.

Our excellence is at risk despite the fact that we spend below the state average on per pupil spending. Despite the fact that the school district has already cut $5.3 million from the budget over the last three years. The board will consider more reductions and deferments tonight. Declining revenues, the effects of the tax cap, no increase in tax rates since 1976 and expenses exceeding revenues leading to accumulated deficits has placed our school district at risk.

While District 203 is a unique school district it is not unique from other school districts in one area-deficits. A recent article in the Chicago Tribune revealed that nearly half of all school districts in Illinois showed expenses exceeding revenue for many of the same reasons I just mentioned.

The board of education recognizes the responsibility to the District 203 communities of Naperville, Lisle, Woodridge, and Bolingbrook. We must maintain our educational excellence and restore financial stability to our school district. The school board is committed to achieve these goals. We are prepared to make the difficult decisions so that our community asset continues to provide the education our students need and deserve. Also, our decisions must mirror the values and vision our communities have for their schools.

On October 8, the citizens' committee-The Education for the 21st Century Committee issued their final report to the board of education. The committee asked the board to consider their recommendations in their entirety. Let me review the recommendations of the committee and actions taken by the school board.

1. PLACE A REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE DATE. (Approved by the board on October 22, 2001.)

2. PRIOR TO FILING FOR A REFERENDUM, HAVE AN ECONOMIC AGREEMENT IN PLACE WITH
THE NAPERVILLE UNIT EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. (Approved by the board October 22; contract ratified December 21, 2001)

3. THE TAX RATE INCREASE SHOULD BE BETWEEN 50 TO 65 CENTS PER $100 EAV. (Tonight, the board will consider tax rate increases of 50, 55, and 60 cents. All are within the recommendation.)

4. OPERATE ALL FUNDS WITH A CUMULATIVE DEFICIT OF NO MORE THAN $6 MILLION BY END OF 2005-2006. (If a tax rate is approved, the board believes this recommendation can be achieved.)

5. REMAIN COMPETITIVE ON TEACHER PAY. (The new three year contract with the NUEA achieved this recommendation.)

6. MAINTAIN CURRENT LEVEL AND QUALITY OF PROGRAMS. (While the board has approved $5.3 million in reductions and deferments over the last three years, we will consider more this evening. Any reductions will have an impact, we have directed the administration to make the necessary reductions which have the least educational impact.)

7. DEVELOP A STRATEGY TO COMMUNICATE THE ON-GOING IMPLICATION OF THE TAX CAP LAW. (The board will continue to communicate to our stakeholders and our state legislators the impact that the tax cap has on our school district.)

8. CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT COST SAVING IDEAS AND INVESTIGATE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE REVENUE WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS. (The board and administration has done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future.)

9. DEVELOP A FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO PROVIDE CONTEXT TO THE BUSINESS PLAN. (The board will discuss this recommendation in the near future. At the present time, the business plan is on hold and is not being implemented until financial stability is restored. Any new programs and services will only be implemented when a way to pay for it is identified.)

The school board believes it has acted in good faith with all the recommendations of the Education for the 21st Century Committee.

Throughout this entire process, the school board has acted as the advocates for students while acting in a financially responsible manner. We are now prepared to consider the recommendation of the administration and take action so that a tax referendum will be placed on the March 19, 2002 ballot. It will then be the responsibility of the voters to make their voice heard and determine whether their school district will continue to be a community asset into the future. The school board believes that working in partnership with the community-we can do it, we must do it!