D41 Board Highlights

Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on November 1, 2010. An MP3 recording of the meeting is available on www.d41.org Minutes are posted once approved.

2010 TAX LEVY HEARING SET FOR DEC. 6
After an overview of the tentative tax levy, the Board of Education (BOE) passed a resolution of its intent to levy and set the annual Truth in Taxation public hearing set for Dec. 6, 7:15 p.m. at the Central Services Office. The BOE will take action on the levy at the meeting which follows the hearing. Information on the tentative levy is posted on the district Website and is available at the Central Services Office. This year, the district is requesting $41,464,962, which is an increase of 5.29% over what it received last year. It expects to actually receive $40,791,648, or an increase of approximately 3.58%.

An individual's property tax bill is determined by the value of his or her property and the District 41 portion of the bill may change by some other percentage. The levy is the total amount of tax dollars requested by the district. The amount the district will actually receive is governed by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, commonly known as the Tax Cap. This law limits any increase in tax dollars to 5% or the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. For this levy cycle, CPI is 2.7%. Taxes on new construction provide additional dollars to the district. Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Facilities and Operations Bob Ciserella noted that there are several factors of concern to school districts: declining property values, CPI (which measures inflation), and the state's ability to fulfill all of its funding commitments to schools. At the same time, he pointed out some large expenses on the horizon, such as replacing roofs and updating technology infrastructure.

The levy timeline is set by law, and it is not uncommon for school districts to request more than they believe they will receive because they must set their levy request before they know what all of their needs will be for the coming year, particularly staffing needs, and before the assessor has final information on property values and the amount of new construction. In the spring, the county clerk calculates the actual amount that the district is eligible to receive under the tax cap. If the district has requested less than it is eligible to receive, the county clerk will not adjust the levy upward. If the district has requested more than it is eligible to receive, the county clerk will reduce the amount to comply with the tax cap. Here is more information on the levy timeline and process as well as FAQs.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next regular meetings are Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m. at Hadley Junior High, and Dec. 6 at the Central Services Office. The meeting will follow immediately after the Truth in Taxation public hearing scheduled for 7:15 p.m. The public is always welcome and encouraged to attend Board meetings.

SUMMER CAPITAL PROJECT PLANNING
The BOE reviewed bricks and mortar (capital) projects being proposed for the summer in preparation for authorizing the administration to go out for bid. Each year, the district strives to bid its summer projects early in order to get the best prices and contractors. Summer projects are part of the district's 20-year capital projects plan that prioritizes routine maintenance, equipment and vehicle purchases, and large projects such as roof replacement and HVAC work. Among the projects proposed for summer of 2011 are:
Abraham Lincoln: Paving and sidewalk work and complete interior painting (one school per summer is completely painted; others receive touch-ups).
Benjamin Franklin: Brick and main entry repair, sidewalk and paving repair.
Hadley: Paving repair, loading dock repair, and courtyard renovation. The BOE discussed the scope of the courtyard project and what type of renovation would best serve students.
Bids will be organized in a base bid, including must-do projects, and alternate bids for those projects that may be deferred, depending on how the bids come in. While firm price information will not be known until bids are received, the district is anticipating a total of $1.4 million, with approximately $500,000 of that in bids for alternate projects. The BOE expects to take action on authorizing the bid process at its Nov. 15 meeting. It would then review and act to accept or reject bids at a later date.

BOE APPROVES PILOT FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The BOE approved the district piloting Northern Illinois Food Bank's Food Backpack program at Abraham Lincoln School. The pilot will be made available to those families whose children attend the Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center after-school program at Lincoln and parents must give permission to enroll their child. The program is intended to combat child hunger over the weekend, and provides identified students with a backpack of shelf-stable food intended for the family to take home each weekend. Students return the backpack to school on Monday, and the cycle repeats on Friday. NIFB is partnering with many schools in the area on this program. By piloting it on a small scale, the district will be able to work out logistics and other issues with the hope of expanding it in the future.

About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation.

Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.

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