Jacksonville SD 117 board accepts proposed FY26 budget amid drop in operating fund balance

The Jacksonville School District #117 Board of Education voted Sept. 17 to accept the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget after reviewing district fund balances and revenue trends.

Chief Financial Officer Rick Cunningham presented the operating fund balances and said total operating funds stood at $46,495,783.19 for FY2025, a decline of $889,039.20 from FY2024. He told the board the swing reflected timing differences — "last year at the time the district received late summer payments from the state for Early Years" and a repayment of a prior property tax overpayment — and that administrators are monitoring cash flow heading into the new fiscal year. The district did not provide a single-line FY26 budget total in the meeting materials; the figure was not specified in the transcript.

Board members voted unanimously to accept the proposed FY26 budget as presented. The motion to accept the proposed budget was brought by Mrs. Stewart and seconded by Mr. Lonergan.

The board also reviewed routine finance trackers (sales tax, PPRT) and discussed ongoing monitoring; Superintendent Steve Ptacek cautioned that "the year is starting out below what we started out last year," signaling staff will watch revenues closely. The board did not adopt any budget amendments at the meeting and directed administration to continue monthly reporting on fund balances and revenue collections.