Highland Park board adopts tentative 2026–27 budget as health‑care costs surge

The Highland Park Board of Education on March 24 approved a tentative 2026–27 budget and related agenda items after a lengthy presentation and questions about rising health‑benefit costs and possible staff reductions.

Superintendent Dr. Susca and the district business official presented a preliminary budget that administrators said must be submitted as a balanced tentative budget to county and state reviewers. The district disclosed a preliminary projection that health‑benefit costs could rise 32% for the coming year — a move the administration estimated would add about $1.5 million to the operating budget. Those figures, officials said, are a moving target while the district seeks renewal quotes and prescription‑drug options from brokers.

The business administrator said the tentative budget totals $44,717,851 in operating revenue and reflects a proposed 4.14% increase in the school tax levy, which combines the 2% statutory increase with roughly $719,000 of a proposed health‑care adjustment. The administration also reported a projected 6% rise in state aid (about $357,000) and an estimated decrease in extraordinary special‑education aid of about $150,000. Under the presented numbers, the average homeowner with an assessed value of $482,368 would see an estimated annual school tax increase of $343.35 (about $28.61 per month).

Why it matters: State law allows districts to apply a health‑benefit adjustment above the 2% levy cap when benefit costs climb; Highland Park’s administrators said fully applying that adjustment would amount to roughly a 6.1% levy increase, which would cover more of the premium spike but still leave planning uncertainty until final insurance renewal numbers arrive.

Board members pressed administration for specifics about how different levy decisions would affect staffing. Administrators said the package the board approved represents a middle ground designed to spare as many positions as possible: the tentative 4.14% levy plus targeted cuts would avoid the deepest personnel losses, while relying only on the 2% statutory increase would require broader reductions. The administration listed possible program or position reductions that could occur if outside revenue or a larger levy is not adopted, including the maker space at the middle school, one full‑time media specialist, one Bartle interventionist (from four to three), possible consolidation to a middle/high school shared nurse model, and one secondary social‑studies teacher at the high school.

Administrators described operational mitigations they expect to implement if reductions occur: centralized registration handled by the technology team, shifting athletic physicals to the contracted school physician, shared nursing coverage adjusted by data on usage, and active pursuit of state grants (including high‑impact tutoring funds) to offset cuts.

The budget discussion also highlighted facilities needs: planned projects using capital or maintenance reserves include replacement of gutters on a historic high‑school building, a water‑service line replacement, the Bartle fire‑alarm and strobe replacement, boiler replacement, and additional exterior lighting and cameras. The board said it would use capital and other reserves only for allowable capital items; emergency reserve use is restricted to security or health‑benefit adjustments.

Public comment and committee reports: During two public comment opportunities, residents asked whether capital reserves can be used for salaries (administration replied no), about the net cost of returning out‑of‑district special‑education students to district placements (administrators said in‑district services shift costs between line items but can change overall expenses), and for updates on the district’s math pilot and preK expansion. Committees reported on curricular pilot programs, ALP enrollment and racial disparities, technology filtering, and recent facility work.

Board action: The board approved the finance and facilities packet, including agenda item authorizing adoption of the tentative budget and related reserve withdrawals, by roll call. The vote passed with one abstention on agenda item one (Miss Daniel abstained on that item); all other trustees voted yes.

What’s next: The district will submit the tentative, balanced budget to the county for review and continue negotiating insurance renewals. The board scheduled an additional budget discussion meeting for April 13 to solicit more community input before the final budget vote in late April.