The Unit 5 board of education on Wednesday approved a proposed annual budget of $222 million that Chief Financial Officer Marty Hickman said has the most balanced education fund budget the district has seen in years.
Despite this, he said he expects a deficit in the transportation fund.
“It's not new,” he told WGLT after the board’s monthly meeting. “Unfortunately, we've had that for the past couple years, and it really is due to the funding from the state level.”
The expiration of COVID-19 relief dollars through the ESSER program — Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief — could cause the deficit to worsen. Those funds helped pay for expanded summer school programming, serving more students, but to the tune of nearly $437,000. Of that, more than 25% of the costs went toward transportation.
Another factor that could impact the transportation deficit is the contract Unit 5 has with First Student, the Normal-based school transportation service the district contracts for its bus drivers and monitors. Hickman said if wages increase for bus drivers and monitors, there’s a chance First Student will ask for more in its next contract negotiations.
Bus staff are currently under negotiations and during public comment, Steven Dean, vice president for the union representing drivers and monitors, said the conversation has stalled. They’re nearly 50 days into a 60-day extension, and Dean said many workers are unhappy with the current offer on the table.
“Aside from some of the poor wages that they offered, they want us to waive our rights to the Illinois state law that ... gives us paid time off,” said Dean, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal [AFSCME] employees.
Under Illinois' Paid Leave for All Workers Act, workers are allowed up to 40 hours of PTO per year — with exceptions.
Dean said union members intend to “take steps,” and he clarified in a later email they’re not entirely sure what that will look like, but the goal is to avoid a strike.
“We love taking care of our parents, we love taking care of our kids. That’s why we’re here,” said Dean, referencing the few dozen union members in the audience. “We want to do our jobs.”
A meeting is scheduled for next week when members hope to resolve current contract faults, said Dean, adding the union’s issue is with lawyers and not First Student itself.
Hickman said it was the first Unit 5 had heard of contract issues, and reiterated that the drivers and monitors are First Student employees, not district staff.
Multi-million dollar facilities costs projected
Meanwhile, Unit 5 facilities staff said capital project repairs — including some requiring immediate attention — are expected to cost the district around $50 million over the next five years. Additional multi-million expenditures are projected for the years following.
Multiple schools need roof repairs, which total around $20 million to fix, and buildings across the district require updates to fire alarm systems, as well as heating and cooling infrastructure. Combined, those are projected to cost over $16 million.
Pools and tracks at junior highs and high schools also are outdated. Executive Director of Facilities and Operation Joseph Adelman said tracks alone could cost just shy of $13 million to fix since they’ll need to be completely redone and are a current a safety hazard, said facilities staff.
Superintendent Kristen Weikle added the condition of the tracks is preventing the district from hosting anything other than practices.
School board member Amy Roser said she hears of other schools getting new turf and field houses, but items like those are “not even like a conversation we can enter into having.”
Update on phone policy
Outside of finances, Weikle said Normal Community West High School started a pilot program to test out no-phone zones. It’s the first school in Unit 5 to implement any type of phone-free policy since the district announced it was exploring options over the summer.
Since the first day of school, Weikle said NCWHS has been using a stop light-inspired program where colors — red, yellow, green — indicate if phones can be used. She added that she’s heard educators are pleased, but there will be a survey for students, parents and staff soon.
“We need all of that [feedback] to really make an informed decision,” she said.
