Elmhurst Superintendent Calls for End of State Budget Impasse

ELMHURST, IL - Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Superintendent Dr. David Moyer has joined more than 390 school chiefs from across the state, representing 1.3 million students, in calling for the Illinois General Assembly to immediately pass a state budget.

According to a release from the district, the grassroots initiative - called “Pass Illinois’ Budget!” - also urges lawmakers and Governor Rauner to improve the state’s education funding formula, and pay school districts millions of dollars owed in unpaid bills this year.

According to the district, the state now owes District 205 $3,670,579 as of April 24 and has been operating without a full budget for the past 22 months.

“I stand with more than 390 superintendents from across the state in a call for action,” said Dr. Moyer in a release. “We need to end the impasse now and move forward with a budget that will serve the two million K-12 Illinois public school students who represent our future.”

According to a release, the superintendents are calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:

• Immediately, and with bipartisan support, end the state budget impasse.
• Improve the state’s education funding formula and invest in students and schools, including higher education, throughout the state.
• Pay school districts what they are owed this year.

According to the release, while K-12 education has benefited from a partially-funded state budget, Illinois schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. Districts will continue to struggle if “Mandated Categoricals,” state payments which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year. District 205 has not received three categorical payments this year.

The largest funds due are:

• Transportation - $990,078.06
• Special Education - $2,616,602.18
• State Free Lunch - $1,818.25
• Driver’s Education - $22,080.28
• Early Childhood - $40,000

The district said state revenue accounts for about 8.13 percent of District 205’s operating budget or $9,341,790. The General State Aid payments, which support general operating expenses, are being paid on time, however, the categorical payments are not. District 205 has not received any categorical payments this year with the exception of one late quarter payment from last fiscal year.

"Because this money reimburses costs to existing programming, and because the majority of these services are required by law, the district will likely have to consider either spending down its fund balance, which is an unsustainable solution, or study options to reduce spending in other programming areas in which discretionary decisions are possible," Dr. Moyer said in a release.