District staff told the board that the next step in the budget process is to open a public hearing on the proposed 2025–26 budget, and that approval is typically requested at the following board meeting. A district staff member explained, as in prior years, the board opens the hearing, closes it and then will be asked to approve the budget at the next meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Smith confirmed district staff are available to answer questions and noted recent outside funding awards—he told the board a city committee awarded over $500,000 to the Boys & Girls Club to support after-school programming that benefits West Aurora and nearby districts. No formal budget vote took place at the Sept. 2 meeting; the public hearing step was presented as the procedural next item in the budget process.