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Proviso 209 budget presentation projects $127.6 million in revenue for FY26, notes loss of ESSER grants
Summary
District finance staff told the Proviso Township HSD 209 Board of Education on Aug. 12 that the proposed FY26 budget projects roughly $127.6 million in revenue, a $6 million projected surplus and reduced federal grant revenue after ESSER funds expire.
A district finance official presented the Proviso Township High School District 209 proposed fiscal year 2026 budget at the board's Aug. 12 meeting, outlining revenue increases in evidence‑based funding, a drop in federal grant revenue following the end of ESSER dollars, planned capital investments and staffing changes.
"Real estate taxes will increase this year by 3%," the presenter said during the budget hearing. The presentation said evidence‑based funding would increase by $3,300,000; federal grant revenue would decline primarily because ESSER funding had ended; corporate property tax revenue was expected to decrease by 15%; and total proposed revenues across funds were approximately $127,638,000.
The presenter described key expense changes for FY26: a 6.8% increase in total salaries driven by negotiated increases for groups including certified teachers and classified staff; an investment of $7,500,000 in capital projects that includes $4,000,000 carried over from the prior year; and increases in tuition and program fees tied to dual degree and career programs. The slides projected a proposed surplus of about $6,000,000 at the end of FY26, bringing the board's projected total fund balance across funds to about $85,986,000.
District officials repeatedly warned of risks to future revenues: the end of one‑time pandemic funding, a 15% correction to corporate property tax receipts and uncertainty in federal funding streams. "ESSER was really, really good ... but those dollars are no longer," the presenter said. The presentation noted there was no increase for FY26 in state reimbursements for transportation, early‑childhood programs or special education.
The presenter said the district will file the budget with the Illinois State Board of Education within 30 days of adoption, as required. The budget presentation concluded with an opportunity for board questions; there were no detailed policy votes on the budget shown in the excerpt of the transcript before the meeting moved to approvals.
The budget presentation also described operational controls the district planned to use to manage spending, including a pre‑purchase committee for purchases over $2,500 and new monitoring dashboards intended to track leading indicators tied to student outcomes.
No formal adoption vote for the FY26 budget appears in the provided transcript excerpt; the board later conducted a series of approvals on contract renewals, curriculum purchases and other items during the same meeting.
