The board approved athletic fee increases and a change in registration fees that adds a $50 late penalty and preserves an on‑time discount; the district said it will enable installment payments through its payment provider (RevTrack/PowerSchool) and is negotiating lower ACH/eCheck merchant fees before the April/May rollout.
Board heard a first draft of the FY27 budget showing projected revenue of about $143.2 million and expenses of about $143.7 million, resulting in a $523,000 deficit; administrators warned five‑year projections could reach $7–8 million without additional actions and identified staffing and rising benefit costs as primary pressure points.
At the Feb. 19 Huntley Community School District 158 board meeting, parents and students described repeated bullying at Marlowe Middle School and a Feb. 9 threat in which a student allegedly told another they would be shot; commenters said documentation and disciplinary follow‑through were inconsistent and asked the district for a fuller investigation.
The board approved replacing gym scoreboards with video boards and installing IHSA‑required shot clocks. Sponsorships secured roughly $67,000 and boosters gave $12,500, leaving an estimated district outlay of about $46,000 and a projected conservative 10‑year revenue of roughly $104,000.
A Huntley Community School District 158 parent told the board that her son experienced repeated threats, yelling and unsupervised moments in class and said initial administrative responses minimized concerns; the comment drew no formal action at the meeting.
Administration reported the district enrollment (8,311), early graduates (36), and began the FY27 budget timeline; CFO previewed proposed registration and athletic fee adjustments to be discussed in February and described potential joint bids with neighboring districts to reduce costs.
District leaders briefed the board on Senate Bill 0243 changes to FOIA related to suspected AI-generated requests, reported enrollment decline and shared chronic-absence patterns; trustees and parents pressed for clearer attendance letters and outreach to families.
After a presentation explaining how CPI, new construction and abatements affect the district’s equalized assessed value, the board adopted the 2025 property tax extension certificate using a 2.9% consumer price index increase; the measure passed 5–2 following public comment opposing staffing levels.
Trustees approved revenue contracts for crowdfunding/discount-card fundraisers for athletics but asked administration to clarify vendor commission rates, product-versus-donation distinctions and exclusivity or penalty clauses before future renewals.
Based on a survey emphasizing visibility, acoustics and accessibility, administration recommended bringing a multi‑year NIU contract to the board for approval and to continue evaluating other venues; concerns remain about travel, scheduling and staffing at local venues.
