D86 board adopts FY2026 budget; trustees told revenues and expenditures will be roughly flat

The Hinsdale Township High School District 86 Board of Education adopted its FY2026 budget on Sept. 25 in a 6–0 vote after a public hearing and a budget presentation by Chief Financial Officer Josh Stevenson.

CFO Stevenson told trustees the district expects roughly $144 million in revenues and a similar total for expenditures, and that the district’s total fund balances are just under $30 million. He highlighted several budget pressures that are expected to continue into FY26: reduced interest earnings if the Federal Reserve cuts rates, a likely flat baseline for corporate replacement tax receipts, transportation costs that have outpaced state reimbursements, increases in property/casualty insurance and variability in the self‑insured medical and dental fund.

Stevenson said the district holds a negative balance in the transportation fund on paper and will monitor that fund through the year, recommending remedial action before fiscal year‑end if needed; he emphasized the district has cash to operate but is watching the fund balance metric. The CFO also summarized planned capital projects for FY26 including restroom renovations at Hinsdale Central (work split across FY26 and FY27) and various athletic and facility projects, reporting approximately $5.6 million in capital spending in the budget.

On revenues, Stevenson said the majority of district funding remains local property tax receipts. He noted the Illinois Department of Revenue’s corporate replacement tax has declined from a recent spike and appears to be stabilizing at a lower baseline, and that mandated categorical reimbursement (notably special education transportation reimbursements) has declined relative to rising transportation costs.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about the cadence of summer capital projects, the district’s approach to long‑term maintenance funding and options for addressing capital needs (operating funds, debt‑service extension bonds, health and safety bonds, or a future referendum). Stevenson said capital needs remain beyond the immediate budget and discussed the mix of operating allocations and possible borrowing options.

For the record, notice of the budget hearing and tentative budget availability was published in the local newspaper on Aug. 28, 2025. The board approved the budget and associated forecasting assumptions during the Sept. 25 meeting.