Waukegan school leaders propose $10M baseline cut and multi-year plan to close projected shortfall

Waukegan CUSD 60 administrators on Tuesday presented a multi‑year budget‑stabilization strategy that starts with a baseline $10,000,000 reduction in the current fiscal year and a plan to add recurring reductions in later years. The presentation said operating‑fund beginning balances were estimated at roughly $98 million with operating revenues near $271 million and operating expenditures near $285 million, leaving an estimated FY27 operating gap of about $14 million; an all‑funds picture showed a projected shortfall closer to $27 million if no action is taken.

The administration said the FY27 plan prioritizes protecting academic improvement, legal compliance for special education and ELL services, and student safety while pursuing recurring structural savings over one‑time fixes. The superintendent’s team modeled a four‑year path that assumes $10 million in year 1, an additional $15 million in recurring cuts in year 2 (bringing recurring savings to $25 million), and a further $5 million in year 3 (compounding toward roughly $30 million), with the goal of reaching structural balance by 2030. ‘‘We chose $10,000,000 because we believe we could reach that milestone,’’ the presenting administrator said, emphasizing that the number was an administrative assumption to create concrete scenarios for the board.

Board members asked for additional detail about how reductions would affect counselors, psychologists and paraprofessionals, and urged careful sequencing and communication to avoid sudden service disruptions. The administration committed to continued analysis, monthly updates to the board and a 30‑day public inspection period ahead of the September public hearing and adoption timeline.