Elmhurst D205 Spending Surges Over Last Decade

ELMHURST, IL – Over the last decade, spending in Elmhurst School District 205 has grown a lot.

In inflation-adjusted dollars, the district's yearly spending grew by 16 percent since 2014. It stood at $144.3 million last year.

In real terms, per-student spending rose by 20 percent over the same period.

These spending increases occurred while average daily attendance dropped by 3.8 percent.

The latest numbers come from the 2023 annual report by the district's outside auditor. The statistics are based on operating spending and do not include the $168.5 million in debt for building projects.

More than 90 percent of the school's income comes from local sources, mainly property taxes.

For years, school board member Jim Collins has called into question increases in the district's staff as enrollment has fallen.

From 2020 to 2023, the staff went up by 52, to 1,191, a 4.6 percent increase.