District presents tentative FY2027 budget and a staffing plan that would raise class ratios and reduce roughly 48 teaching FTE
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Summary
Site & Finance staff presented a tentative FY2027 budget showing a multi‑fund deficit driven by timing of debt-service receipts and proposed staffing adjustments that would raise class‑size ratios across levels and reduce about 48 certified classroom FTE, producing an estimated savings of roughly $2.9 million.
Plainfield SD 202 finance and personnel staff outlined the district’s tentative FY2027 budget and a staffing‑ratio model during the April 15 Site & Finance and Personnel Policy & Administration committee meetings.
Finance staff said operating fund balances year to date were approximately $137 million, with total all‑fund revenue and expenditures presented for FY2027 ($446.1 million in total revenue; $455.9 million in total expenditures across all funds), noting a deficit driven primarily by debt‑service timing and transfers. “We do have links if you can click on the education fund where things are broken down,” the finance presenter said while walking members through revenue sources including property tax, evidence‑based state funding and federal categorical funds.
On staffing, administration proposed raising student‑teacher ratios to meet budget assumptions: elementary ratios from about 20.8:1 to 22.6:1; middle‑school core from about 26.3:1 to 27.6:1 (encore courses proposed to move from 18.2:1 to 21.3:1); and high‑school ratios to 24:1 with some core classes reaching or exceeding 25:1. The model would reduce roughly 52.3 certified classroom positions before accounting for special education adjustments and attrition; net reductions were presented as about 48.1 FTE districtwide with a cited cost savings of approximately $2,886,000.
Personnel staff said special education certified staffing would slightly increase (4.6 FTE) while English-language-learner staffing would show a small decrease. The administration emphasized use of attrition and reassignment: staff who remain in good standing will retain positions and open positions will be filled internally where possible.
Board members asked detailed questions about timing of federal receipts, contract rounding and whether to wait for vendor updates on curriculum adoptions; curriculum staff said the biology resource is a 2019 edition aligned to NGSS and that the vendor committed to support the district for up to 10 years post‑adoption.
What happens next: staff put the tentative budget documents on display so the public can review them; the district expects to update figures ahead of the June approval. Personnel staff said they will bring a corresponding staffing recommendation for administrative, nonunion and noncertified positions at the next PPA meeting in May.
