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Central SD 51 administration recommends waiver of 5% administrative-cost cap; public hearing set Jan. 15
Summary
District administration told the board it is eligible to waive the Illinois School Code 5% administrative-cost increase limit because the district falls within the 25th percentile for per‑pupil administrative spending and cited an 18% insurance-premium increase as the main driver; the board was asked to approve the waiver after a public hearing on Jan. 15, 2026.
Central School District 51 officials asked the Board of Education Jan. 12 to approve a waiver of the statutory 5% limitation on year‑to‑year administrative spending and scheduled a required public hearing for Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. District administration said the waiver is available because the district’s administrative expenditures per pupil fall within the 25th percentile for its district type.
District materials reviewed at the committee meeting cite Illinois School Code Section 17-1.5 as the statute that limits budgeted administrative increases to 5% over the prior year’s actual administrative expenditures. The administration said the primary reason the current budgeted administrative expenditures exceed that cap is an 18% rise in insurance premiums rather than discretionary spending. “Given the district's eligibility and the unavoidable increase in insurance costs, administration recommends that the Board of Education approve the waiver of the 5% administrative cost limitation for the current fiscal year,” the administration statement said.
If the board adopts the waiver after the public hearing, the district must notify the Illinois State Board of Education within 45 days and still submit the annual administrative-cost report by Nov. 15. The written materials presented to the committee list the functions counted as administrative expenditures (for example, executive administration, school administration and business support services) and note that legally required pension obligations and early retirement costs are excluded from the calculation.
At the Jan. 12 meeting the board did not take a final vote on the waiver; the administration's recommendation and the scheduled hearing were presented as the next steps.
