Kaneland school board approves final budget as district expenses rise

The Kaneland District 302 School Board voted to approve the final budget for the 2022-23 school year during Monday’s meeting.

The district will see an increase in expenses over the past year.

The board approved a tentative budget in June, according to meeting documents.

“The board is being asked to adopt a $72.2 million operating budget with a total budget of $87.5 million,” Associate Superintendent Julie-Ann Fuchs said.

According to meeting documents, operating expenses were 9.8% higher than last year’s budget because of capital projects and benefits increases.

“In terms of revenue, we got additional revenue from our tax levy, from our corporate personal property replacement taxes, as well as about $86,000 from the evidence-based funding model from Springfield,” Fuchs said.

Revenues were up 7.3% from last year, according to documents.

“With regard to expenditures, we added some salaries and benefits due to a contract being finalized,” Fuchs said. “Additionally, we have some positions that are not able to be filled, so we are filling them with contractual services.”

Support staff saw a salary increase of 7%, while administrative staff and teachers saw an increase of 5% and 3.34%, respectively, according to documents.

“Lastly, ‘Tyler,’ which is our student information system, has been bought out and is no longer supported as such,” Fuchs said. “So we are being forced to upgrade to Infinite Campus.”

Fuchs said the upgrade will cost the district a one-time fee of about $50,000 but will be better than searching for a new system.

“An investigation like that takes a long time to pick new software,” she said. “This is considered an upgrade and they will support Infinite Campus. It’s a well-known software.”

The board also approved the budget for the Fox Valley Career Center.

Fuchs said that while the Career Center has its own board, the Kaneland school board gives the final approval of the budget.

“With Fox Valley Career Center, the majority of their revenues come from tuition,” she said. “Their expenditures are then typical of any school, made up of salaries, benefits, purchase services and supplies and capital equipment.”

Total revenue at Fox Valley Career Center exceeded expenditures by $2,068, according to documents.

Total enrollment for FVCC was 433 students, down from last year as a result of the elimination of the graphics program, according to meeting documents.

One of the meeting’s last actions was a vote to begin the renaming process for the former Kaneland Meredith Middle School building.

“[There] is a survey going out tomorrow to get some feedback from those who are interested in sharing some possible names,” Superintendent Ted Leden said.

According to documents, the building is occupied partially by the Fox Valley Career Center and is used by the Kaneland High School athletics department.

“It’s currently multi-use, so we want to make sure that the name represents exactly what’s taking place in the building,” Leden said.

Leden said the board will approve the new name at the Oct. 24 meeting.