Board approves $15.7 million in bills; finance chief reports balanced 2025-26 forecast, launches clean-energy feasibility study

The District 155 Board of Education on Tuesday approved $15,700,000 in board bills covering July 3 through Aug. 12 and heard an update showing a pre-audit fund balance of $77,000,000 and a revenue coverage ratio of 46 percent. The finance update matters because the ratio equates to roughly five and a half months of reserves, above board policy 4-20's roughly four-month requirement, and staff said a balanced 2025-26 operating budget is still being forecasted. Dr. Werner, assistant superintendent of finance and operations and chief school business official, told the board that the July pre-audit ending fund balance rose slightly because of student registration fees and higher interest income. "A balanced 2025-26 operating budget is still being forecasted, which is great news," he said. Werner asked for approval of the board bills, and the board voted to pass the motion. The board packet broke the $15.7 million total into about $7.9 million of payroll-related items (noting fiscal-year-end withholdings inflate that figure) and $8.3 million for vendor payments, which the finance office said includes payments for previously approved summer capital projects. On a separate but related point, Werner told the board that a recent change in federal investment tax-credit phase-outs prompted staff to open a district-wide feasibility study on a previously proposed clean-energy project. If the study supports moving forward, staff said they will return next month to a committee meeting before any formal budget hearing to get board feedback. The vote to approve the bills passed on a roll call with all members recorded as voting yes. Looking ahead, the finance office said it will present the feasibility study findings to the board and committees before any commitment of funds or formal budget action.