Board adopts 2025–26 budget; chiller and campus swing gates included

The Minooka Community Unit School District Board of Education voted to adopt the district’s 2025–26 budget as presented, a document district staff described as balanced and supportive of current operations and planned capital work.

Chief School Business Official Mary Robinson briefed the board on changes since the tentative budget. Robinson said most local revenues were established by last year’s levy and that equalized assessed value increases contributed to stable local revenue assumptions. She said the district’s state aid classification dropped to tier 2 and that the district is receiving about $108,000 in new state funding; federal funding assumptions were finalized and incorporated into the budget.

Robinson told the board that roughly 74–75% of the budget is devoted to salaries and benefits and that a tuition line for the Grundy County special education cooperative increased because additional students enrolled in cooperative programs. She said a chiller replacement project at Manuka Junior High School was added to non-operating Fund 90 and will be publicly bid and brought back to the board when an award is ready. Robinson said the budget also includes funds for permanent swing gates on the district’s main campus to address traffic flow based on principals’ suggestions.

Robinson explained that large projects typically generate multiple progress invoices and that some project costs may fall into the next fiscal year, but the district plans to maintain required fund balance levels (a 25% fund balance target across funds). The adopted budget showed an operating fund surplus of about $4,000 and an overall surplus of approximately $311,000, as presented.

A board member moved to adopt the budget; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call.