Elmhurst D205 Shows 'Financial Acumen': Memo

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 "stands tall as a testament to fiscal responsibility" as it spends money prudently for the needs of students, according to a memo from officials.

On Tuesday, the school board is set to vote on a tentative budget for this school year.

According to a memo by two officials, the district has shown its "financial acumen by judiciously managing reserves."

Steering through a "highly unstable market" in 2022-23, the district budgeted $10.7 million to keep in reserve, the officials said. The district only spent $4.8 million of that money, 45 percent of the original amount, thanks to "fiscal prudence" in spending, the memo said.

In 2023-24, the district used $5.4 million of the $7.9 million that was kept in reserve, according to the memo.

"This impressive feat highlights our ability to plan ahead, allocate resources judiciously to efficiently meet our educational goal of delivering a high-quality learning experience for all students," the memo said.

District 205 started this budget year with $58 million in the bank, according to the memo.

The memo was written by Superintendent Keisha Campbell and Chris Whelton, assistant superintendent of finance.

The document stated the district needed to increase the number of kindergarten teachers because of enrollment growth.

Over the last few years, board member Jim Collins has repeatedly warned about the increases in the teaching staff while enrollment has stayed about the same.