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Board approves FY26 budgets, authorizes short‑term tax warrants and amends Head Start contract
Summary
At its Sept. 29 meeting the board approved the FY26 final budgets, adopted a resolution to allow issuance of up to $25 million in tax anticipation warrants if Cook County delays property tax bills, amended the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSC) contract to flow Head Start payments through November 2025, and approved Studio GC for the master health and life safety planning project.
Evanston — In addition to detailed discussion of school‑closure scenarios, the District 65 Board of Education on Sept. 29 approved a package of fiscal and operational items to sustain district operations while the SDRP process continues.
The board voted to approve the FY26 District 65 and Park School final budgets as presented. Tamara, the district's finance lead, said the district has already realized nearly $20 million in reductions over the past two years but still needs another $10 million–$15 million in reductions to reach financial sustainability. In the budget presentation she noted a projected deficit of $372,509 across non‑capital funds in the set of accounts shown to the board.
Facing uncertainty about when Cook County will release the second property‑tax installment, the board adopted a resolution authorizing the issuance of tax anticipation warrants not to exceed $25,000,000 to cover cash needs if the county delays bills. Tamara explained that if the county issues the bills before the board finalizes borrowing on Nov. 3, the sale can be canceled and the district would incur no fees; otherwise the warrant sale would preserve payroll and vendor payments through the end of the calendar year.
On early childhood funding, Pamela Staples of the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSC) asked the district to flow Head Start's full‑initiative payment extension through the delegate to the agency through November 2025. IWSC told the board that a reduction of approximately 15 children would cut about $19,000 per month for the delegate and that the four‑month Office of Head Start extension posed a potential funding shortfall of roughly $79,000 for the nonprofit; the board approved an amendment intended to honor the Head Start extension to November.
The board also approved a contract with Studio GC for the combined Master Health, Life & Safety and master facility assessment project and accepted several routine consent agenda items, including personnel appointments, minutes and contracts over $25,000.
Votes at a glance: - FY26 District 65 and Park School final budgets: approved (roll‑call recorded yes votes). - Resolution authorizing issuance of up to $25,000,000 in 2024 tax anticipation warrants: approved. - FY25–26 Infant Welfare Society of Evanston contract amendment (flow Head Start payments through November 2025): approved; estimated short‑term fiscal flow to IWSC ~ $79,000 for Aug–Nov period as presented by IWSC. - Master Health & Life Safety Plan consultant (Studio GC): approved.
Next procedural steps: Administrators will refine closure scenarios and post data packets online, and the board will continue the SDRP discussion Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.
