Palos CCSD 118 superintendent says district "as strong as it has ever been," cites Blue Ribbon awards and balanced budget

Palos Community Consolidated School District 118 Superintendent Dr. Anthony Scarcella told the district's Board of Education on Jan. 14 that "the state of our school district is as strong as it has ever been," citing national recognitions, high standardized-test percentiles and a balanced 2025 budget following a March 2024 referendum.

Scarcella said Palos 118 schools earned state and national awards in 2024, including Palos East's designation as a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. He told the board students ranked in the 98th percentile in reading, the 94th percentile in math and the 92nd percentile in science, and that Palos 118 remained a "low-spending, high-achieving" district in Cook and DuPage counties.

Why it matters: Academic recognition and a balanced budget affect families, staffing and district planning. Scarcella said the March 2024 referendum proceeds were used to eliminate operating deficits, retire outstanding debt and avoid program cuts, allowing the district to offer free full-day kindergarten this school year and plan further facility renovations.

Scarcella summarized academic and operational highlights from 2024 and plans for 2025. He listed awards for individual schools and district offices, including the business office's 16th straight meritorious budget award from the Association of School Business Officials International and the board's governance award from the Illinois Association of School Boards. He said Palos East and Palos West were recognized by the U.S. Department of Education for performance.

"Palos 118 continues its long tradition of excellence as the premier elementary school district in the southwest suburbs," Scarcella said. He told the board that the district's per-pupil spending is below the county and state averages and that 90% of elementary districts in Cook and DuPage counties spend more per student than Palos 118 while often producing lower results. He cited figures presented on district slides showing lower instructional and operating expenses compared with state averages.

On finances, Scarcella said the referendum proceeds allowed the district to eliminate planned operating deficits that had persisted for several years and to pay off outstanding debt. He said the fiscal 2025 budget is balanced and that the district intends to use $2 million from the referendum plus $2 million in fund balances to complete interior school renovations this summer. Scarcella also reported the district eliminated its tuition-based full-day kindergarten and that 95% of the current kindergarten class is enrolled in free full-day kindergarten compared with 70% last year.

Scarcella described staffing strengths: 73% of licensed staff hold advanced degrees and the district reported an 89% retention rate for educators last year. He also highlighted student extracurricular and philanthropic activity, including mittens and glove drives and donations to the Ronald McDonald House.

The superintendent warned about the effect of unfunded state and federal mandates. He described an "unfunded mandate" as a program required by law without sufficient funding and referenced a report from the Illinois State Board of Education that he said listed hundreds of mandates, only a small number of which have been fully funded.

Board members responded positively after the presentation. Board President Pam Jensen said the presentation was "incredible" and that the board was proud of district staff and outcomes. The board then moved on to committee reports and business items.

The presentation concluded with Scarcella thanking stakeholders for their work in 2024 and expressing optimism for 2025.