Evanston Township approves balanced $118.4M FY26 budget amid revenue uncertainty

Evanston Township High School’s Board of Education on Sept. 8 approved a balanced $118.4 million final budget for fiscal year 2026 while hearing repeated warnings from the district that major revenue streams remain uncertain. Kendra Williams, the district’s chief financial officer, presented the budget and cautioned the board that property-tax receipts, federal grants and corporate personal property replacement tax (CPPRT) remain unstable.

The budget documents show a 4.0% increase in total budgeted dollars from FY25 and a 2.9% rise in the operating budget to $102.4 million. “We have a balanced budget that’s being presented to the board for approval this evening,” Kendra Williams said. She told the board the district has presented balanced budgets for 19 years but emphasized continued revenue pressures.

The nut graf: Why it matters – about 80%-plus of district revenue comes from property taxes, and the district said delayed county billing and reliance on federal and state categorical…