Astroturf 2, Jefferson Preschool 0

Replacing the astroturf at the two high schools deserves the immediate support of District 200 and will be paid for right now, from the District’s fund balances.  However, any work at Jefferson Preschool will have to wait for another referendum. 

That was the message sent by the District 200 School Board on April 10 when it voted twice, unanimously, to spend a total of $826,709.40 on a turf replacement project.  That money will come from a “transfer from O&M Fund Balance,” according to the Board meeting agenda materials.

Yet when it comes to funding renovations or rebuilding at Jefferson, the same “fund balances” are claimed to be sacrosanct.  The Board received a school construction grant for $14.46 million, which was not part of its budget – the grant created an unplanned surplus.  Rather than use the grant toward Jefferson, the Board chose to hold the money for its fund balances, based on a self-imposed
policy that the Board can modify at any time.

Ironically, it is the Board that is “voting with its pocketbook” here.  By its actions, it has shown that it thinks a large bank balance is more important than renovating Jefferson (although not more important than artificial grass).  District 200 taxpayers may be asking:  Why should we approve spending our money, if the Board isn’t willing to spend its money?  If you think Jefferson needs immediate attention, you should be demanding that the Board use the grant money now. 

By its actions, the Board shows its values and priorities.  By its refusal to use the grant, the Board is ensuring nothing will be completed until 2016, even if a 2014 referendum is passed.

The Board appears to be in denial over the resounding NO vote on Tuesday’s tax increase referendum.  Board members and Superintendent Dr. Brian Harris blamed economic conditions and asserted that many in the community don’t understand the Jefferson program.  Yet they rule out the possibility that people do understand what’s going on – they just don’t agree with it, and want the Board to use the grant money to build a right-sized project, rather than raise taxes.

Everyone agrees that the District needs a reasonable level of cash reserves.  But consider:

• The reserves were already sufficient – District 200’s bond rating was reaffirmed on the basis of “strong reserves” BEFORE the Board chose to squirrel away the school construction grant.
• The reserves are projected to grow by $12.4 million – fully replacing the grant and then some – in just three years, as projected by District 200’s own financial advisors, PMA, IF the Board maintains fiscal discipline.
• District taxpayers are already on the hook for about $50.5 million of working cash bonds that were supposed to have been used for cash reserves, but in actuality were drained to fund the deficit spending voted for by current members Coghill, Intihar and Swanson, and outgoing members Johnson and Knicker.

For a more real world example – financial advisors suggest individuals keep six months’ of expenses in savings.  That’s a sound strategy.  But what if you have five months of savings, your car windshield is cracked by a tree branch, and you get an insurance check for it.  Do you put the money in the bank to meet your six month target, and keep driving around in an unsafe car?  Or do you prioritize, use the money for the urgent need for which it was intended, and keep budgeting to get to the six months of savings in the near future?  What if your young children ride in the car with you every day?

That is exactly the situation faced by the Board with regard to Jefferson.  Despite the numerous flaws the Board claims exist at Jefferson, the Board members have shown that their savings account is a higher priority than the children they claim to serve.