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Decatur SD 61 budget hearing: district projects a multi‑million shortfall, staff urge phased spending cuts
Summary
At a Sept. 23 public hearing the district presented a tentative FY2026 budget projecting roughly $151.6M in revenues against higher expenditures; officials said a $5M late federal payment and reserved CPPRT funds temporarily mask an underlying deficit that could reach about $6M without one‑time revenue.
Dr. Curry presented the tentative FY2026 budget for Decatur SD 61, saying "Our total revenues are projected to be a $151,628,191." He told the board the district currently projects total expenditures that produce a net deficit and that the apparent smaller shortfall is partly explained by restricted savings accounts and a one‑time federal payment booked to FY26.
Dr. Curry said the budget picture is complicated by restricted funds and timing. He described the $5,000,000 federal payment that arrived late and "has to be booked as FY26 revenue," adding that without that payment "our deficit would be closer to $6,000,000 for this coming year." He warned that relying on one‑time receipts is not a sustainable strategy.
Officials walked through major operating funds. The Education (Ed) Fund was presented with projected revenues of about $114.71 million and projected expenses near $114.6 million, leaving a narrow margin. Transportation was flagged as a structural problem, with an estimated deficit of roughly $1.2 million driven by contract busing and complex routing. The Tort Fund has carried security and insurance costs and faces growing pressure after a 21% increase in property/casualty insurance costs.
Dr. Curry identified recurring costs that will need local support, including school resource officers ("SROs are invaluable ... but they're nearly a million dollars a year") and internal substitute pay (about $2 million last year). He listed several student supports previously funded with ESSER or Title funds that must now be financed locally: extended day programming (projected at about $1.6 million, with partial Title I and state grant offsets), a supplemental counseling program (~$300,000), and a summer voucher program (~$300,000).
On capital needs, Dr. Curry said the district expects roughly $2.75 million from the 1¢ sales tax for construction and major repairs but noted several large projects are already planned—modular classrooms and an underperforming geothermal chiller at Eisenhower among them. He said health‑life‑safety work not covered by Fund 90 would have to come from Fund 60 or be financed via health life & safety bonds within a four‑year window; when asked about the scope, he estimated roughly $15 million of needed repairs depending on which buildings remain in use.
Board members asked staff to continue scenario planning and to coordinate further analysis of options, including phased expenditure adjustments and the possible timing for bond work. The presentation closed with staff advising the board that the district is starting from a position of relatively solid fund balances but should begin deliberate planning this year to avoid deeper cuts in future years.
Next steps: the board will consider the tentative budget and any public comments through the formal adoption process; no final adoption vote was recorded during the hearing.
