The Unit 5 school board adopted the district's 2025-26 budget at its meeting on Wednesday, and learned that superintendent Kristen Weikle intends to retire in five years.
No changes were made to the plan that was first presented in August.
The $244.7 million budget is about 10% larger than the one that preceded it. Chief financial officer Marty Hickman said most of the increase comes from a combination of staffing costs, vendors and supplies.
Property tax revenue for 2026 is projected to rise $23.8 million [19%], from the previous fiscal year. An additional $9 million is projected to come from the school facility sales tax passed in April.
The district expects to see an $11.7 million increase in staff salary and benefits, utility costs are expected to jump nearly 10% and transportation costs are expected to rise 4%. Federal funding is projected to drop $3.1 million, or 22%, due to the end of federal pandemic relief funding.
Those higher costs and the drop in federal funding will mean a projected $3 million deficit, despite the increase in local tax revenue.
The board held a public hearing before the vote, but no members of the public spoke.
Weikle retirement
Weikle told the board she intends to retire at the end of the 2029-30 school year. That would take her to the end of the five-year contract the board approved in August.
“We've accomplished a lot in the last five years, but there's a lot of work to do over the next five,” said Weikle. “And so my sharing my intention to retire with the board is to really be able to help us plan and maximize the work we need to do.”
New playground
In another matter, the board approved an accessibility-focused playground at Parkside Elementary School.
The $194,301 project will be accessible to the public outside of school hours, and will be the first Unit 5 project funded by the County School Facility Sales Tax.
“Some of our students with limited mobility, if they're not able to access any or some parts of a playground, then they're not able to interact with their peers,” said Weikle.
This is not the first a accessibility-focused playground for Unit 5 schools. Colene Hoose Elementary also has one.
Weikle said the playground will be complete in four to six weeks.
Other business
In other business, the board:
— Added boys volleyball and girls flag football to the Normal Community and Normal West High School athletic programs. “Voting ‘yes’ is about expanding opportunities for our students to grow through teamwork, discipline and competition,” said Michael Coleman, a father who took his son, who plays club volleyball in the Chicago suburbs due to lack of school sponsorship of a team.
— Approved a $4.54 million contract with Central State Bus Sales for 27 new buses.
