District 202 Revenue Expected To Surpass Expenses By $6M: Officials

PLAINFIELD, IL — Plainfield School District 202's operating budget revenue for 2022-23 is expected to surpass expenses by up to $6 million, officials said.

The projection is based on preliminary budget data presented at the July 25 Board of Education meeting. The Board will vote on the budget following a public hearing Sept. 26.

The district's total preliminary projected budget for the upcoming year is $354 million, including debt service and capital projects, according to district officials. That's down about 3.1 percent from last year's $365.5 million.

Total revenues, on the other hand, are expected to be $352.8 million — up from $334.3 million, or 5.5 percent, last year.

The plan includes $10.8 million for assorted capital projects and a $1 million contingency for building-specific enrollment changes and special education needs, officials said.

The operating budget, which pays for all daily expenses including salaries and benefits, shows $325.2 million in anticipated revenues, up 48.3 percent from last year's $219.3 million, according to Tom Hernandez, director of community relations.

Expected expenses are also up from last year. The operating budget shows $319.1 million in expected expenses, up about 1.4 percent from the previous year.

Anthony Arbogast, assistant superintendent for business and operations, said the budget will allow the district to maintain high-quality educational programs while keeping property taxes as low as possible, being balanced and maintaining the highest possible ranking on the State Board of Education's financial profile.

The district has maintained "recognition" status — the highest ranking — since 2016. The maintained status comes after District 202 was given "watch" status, the lowest ranking, in 2012.

Salaries

Salaries and benefits comprise about 79 percent of the preliminary projected operating expenses for the 2022-23 school year. The two combined are expected to total about $261.9 million. That's up about $12.9 million, or 5.2 percent, from last year's $248.9 million.

The figure includes 4.75 percent raises for administration and non-union support staff, raises — the percentage is unspecified — for Association of Plainfield Teachers and Plainfield Association of Support Staff (PASS) members that are budgeted in their respective contracts, and 4 percent increases in benefits.

District 202 compared to the state average

District staff also provided numbers comparing District 202 to the state average in multiple categories. The following numbers are according to the 2021 state report card — the most current available.

• Instructional spending per student: $7,260 versus the state average of $8,826
• Operational spending per student: $11,646 versus the state average of $14,727
• Student to elementary teacher ratio: 18:1 students to every teacher, versus the state average of 17:1
• Student to high school teacher ratio: 22:1 students to every teacher versus the state average of 18:1 students
• Administrator to student ratio: 179:1 students to every administrator, versus the state average of 157:1