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Elmhurst SD 205 presents $168.3 million tentative 2026 budget; board authorizes public display
Summary
District finance staff outlined a $168.3 million tentative budget for fiscal 2026, projecting a 1.8% revenue increase and a 3.6% expenditure rise; the board placed the tentative budget on public display as part of the consent agenda.
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 administration presented a tentative fiscal year 2026 budget of approximately $168,300,000 and explained next steps in the public-review timeline.
"District 205 has arrived at an exciting and pivotal moment in its storied history," finance director Joe Blomquist told the board as he opened the budget presentation, which the administration said builds on discussions from the August 5 Finance and Operations Committee meeting.
Blomquist said local revenues are the district's largest funding source and that the tentative budget assumes a 2.9% property-tax CPI increase and a modest 1.8% overall revenue increase for 2026. He told the board the district expects state and federal categorical revenues to remain flat or be prorated and noted a projected decrease tied to the expiration of ESSER funds from prior years.
The proposed operating expenditures total about $168.3 million, a 3.6% increase from unaudited FY2025 results. Salaries and benefits make up roughly 74% of the tentative budget, Blomquist said; 84.4% of the district's operational funds are proposed for the Education Fund. He also recommended an annual $4,000,000 transfer to the capital projects fund for life-safety and building improvements, and $1,700,000 in transfers for capital-lease technology costs.
Board members pressed for clarifications. Board member Doctor Henry asked why state and federal revenue lines showed a net decrease of about $1.2 million. Blomquist answered that the district received final ESSER payments in the prior fiscal year and expects lower categorical reimbursements, such as transportation and out-of-district tuition claims, this year.
Administrators noted the tentative budget removes the one-time $7,000,000 referendum additional-scope transfer that had appeared in FY2025 and said the FY2026 proposal narrows last year’s budget gap by about $2.5 million. The tentative budget will be displayed for public inspection and returned to the board for possible revision on Sept. 10, with final adoption scheduled for the regular board meeting on Sept. 23.
The board approved a consent-agenda item authorizing public display of the tentative FY2026 budget during the meeting; that consent motion passed 6–0 with one member absent.
