CFC report: OPRF D200 spends above Illinois evidence-based funding targets; recommends shift to coaching and high-dosage tutoring

The Community Finance Committee (CFC) on May 21 reviewed a subcommittee analysis showing Oak Park'River Forest School District 200 is resourced above Illinois evidence-based funding (EBF) targets overall, but that some staffing and spending choices are poorly aligned with research-based strategies to raise student proficiency.

Michelle, a subcommittee presenter, told the committee the district measures at about 117% of EBF staffing adequacy and 137% of EBF expenditures — roughly 60 FTE and about $19 million above the model’s targets. "We do have a really strong resource base," she said, adding that the analysis focuses on alignment rather than a verdict that current levels are inappropriate.

Bob, the report’s history presenter, emphasized the limitations of the EBF model and state funding context: EBF was adopted in 2017 but is not fully funded, and independent analyses project full funding for most districts could take until the mid-2030s. He also described the "real receipts" adjustment that reduces D200’s initial EBF allocation because local property tax capacity was counted against the district; presenters estimated that adjustment at about $22 million.

The subcommittee’s bucket-by-bucket review identified sizable overallocations in noninstructional categories: supervisory aides and full-site staff were reported at 229% and 191% of EBF adequacy (together accounting for roughly 36'37 FTE), while instructional supports were underallocated. The report finds D200 is under by about 20 FTE in instructional facilitators and in-day teacher tutors and also notes shortfalls in nurses and librarian allocations relative to the EBF prototype.

The presenters argued the net effect is a district that is well resourced but not optimally structured. "More spending doesn't necessarily mean better outcomes," Michelle said, urging the board to consider reallocating toward research-based strategies. The subcommittee recommended short-term priorities: expand instructional coaching, implement high-dosage tutoring, and rebalance certain noninstructional roles. Long-term steps include creating a three-to-five-year implementation plan and setting district-specific adequacy ranges rather than seeking perfect alignment to a statewide prototype.

Board members broadly praised the analysis and recommended sharing it with district leadership. Graham and others suggested presenting the full report to the full Board in May or June and coordinating the subcommittee recommendations with the administration’s upcoming staffing report. Student delegate Tyson Carg noted the sensitivity of bucket assignments: "depending on where you put people in different buckets like your numbers can wildly change," he said, cautioning that classification choices will materially alter the mapped results.

The subcommittee also recommended presenting key per-student figures using three-year rolling averages and both with and without parent fee revenues to avoid misleading comparisons where local fee structures differ from the EBF model’s assumptions.

Next steps recorded in the discussion include sending the slide deck and report to Superintendent-level leadership for alignment, scheduling a CFC presentation to the full board (targeted for May'June), and coordinating further analysis with the business office on reclassifying positions and examining central-office expenditures.