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Superintendent: state evidence-based funding held steady; Park Place development expected to add few students
Summary
Superintendent presented state budget items affecting the district, warned of deeper prorations for mandated categoricals, and outlined calendar changes and the district’s plan to request an act-of-God waiver for an extra snow day.
During regular business on Feb. 20, O'Fallon Township High School District 203 Superintendent Dr. Steve Shackleford briefed the board on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s FY26 budget proposal and how it would affect the district’s finances, and he reviewed local calendar changes after the district exhausted its emergency days.
Shackleford said Gov. Pritzker’s budget preserves $350,000,000 for Illinois’ evidence-based funding, an ongoing tiered grant the district receives as a Tier 1 school. “The most important piece is what does remain in the budget is $350,000,000 for evidence based funding,” he said, calling the item crucial to the district’s financial outlook.
He also warned that the budget includes only a $20,000,000 increase for mandated categorical programs, far short of a $142,000,000 ISBE recommendation intended to keep current proration levels. Shackleford said the shortfall will likely deepen prorations for line items the district submits as claims to the state: currently reimbursement rates are roughly 79% for transportation claims, 69% for special education claims and 77% for private-facility tuition, he said.
Shackleford said the budget also contains $1,300,000 to continue career and technical education programming. The superintendent said the district will present five-year projections at the board retreat to show how continued evidence-based funding versus loss of that funding would change long-term forecasts.
On local development, Shackleford summarized a proposed Park Place mixed-use development north of the Sports Park in the city of O'Fallon. He said the city estimates the development would produce about 10.4 new students across K–12, and that the developers are not requesting TIF funding. “They’re not requesting TIF funding, so they’re, that could result in a million dollars in property tax for OTHS specifically,” he said, stressing the figure is the city’s projection and not a board determination.
The board also discussed academic calendar changes. Shackleford said the district used all five emergency days listed on the calendar and had an additional cancellation on Feb. 19; the administration will apply for an “act of God” waiver from the regional and state superintendent to avoid adding make-up days to the calendar. If rejected, the district would add a school day later in the year.
The board reviewed the proposed 2025–26 calendar, which would start school Aug. 12 and keep a two-week winter break. The draft adds one day to spring break (Wednesday, April 1) so spring break would include Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and the following Monday; the last day of school under the draft would be May 27 if all emergency days are used.
No formal budget action was taken at the meeting; Shackleford said staff will present the five-year projections at the upcoming retreat and will report back after the district applies for the act-of-God waiver.
