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Board member warns of 'early warning' fiscal status and low test scores; calls for greater oversight
Summary
Board member Ms. Payne detailed district financial and academic indicators — including an 'early warning' status on the state financial report card, 77 days cash on hand and low state test pass rates — and urged the new board to increase oversight and program evaluation.
During board comments at the May 21 meeting, board member Ms. Payne outlined financial and academic concerns for Danville School District 118 and urged the newly seated board to increase oversight and program evaluations.
Ms. Payne said the district’s state financial report card currently lists the district in an “early warning” status and that the district has “only 77 days of cash on hand.” She noted the district’s enrollment has fallen from about 6,000 to fewer than 5,000 students since 2015 and told trustees she found a reported rise in the number of district administrators from 25 in 2015 to 39.5 in 2024.
On academics, Ms. Payne cited the most recent state report card numbers: “Only 15% of our students are meeting the standards in language arts compared to a state average of 41%. In mathematics, our rate is only 7% meeting compared to the state average of 28%,” she said, and added that a particular school reported only 4% of students meeting math standards.
Ms. Payne also flagged process concerns: she said she sometimes received meeting packets only two days before the meeting and described occasions when administrators were presented for approval without prior notice in the board packet. She told the board she wants earlier distribution of materials to allow members adequate time for review and deliberation.
She referred to the recent audit and said an auditor reported an employee charged a personal expense to a district credit card; Ms. Payne said she believed the auditor had included the matter in the audit report and that the board should have been informed earlier.
Ms. Payne raised questions about the timing and handling of a multimillion-dollar transportation contract, saying the board had delayed a decision two meetings earlier and that at the subsequent vote the transportation contract failed on a 2–2 vote. She urged the board to make multi‑year financial projections that compare costs with estimated revenues and to evaluate the results of programs funded by the district.
“Only 15% of our students are meeting the standards in language arts,” Ms. Payne said in the meeting. “Only 7% are meeting in math. That is very troubling.”
Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the concerns and said they would continue to examine financial reports, program evaluations and staffing levels as the board’s work proceeds. Ms. Payne urged the board to seek the best long‑term superintendent and to prioritize student learning and fiscal stewardship.
