Happy Holidays from our families to yours!  We hope all of the students in District 41 are having a wonderful first half of the school year. Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season.
~Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board of Education


Referendum Construction Update
 

Over the past several months, representatives from the architect firm Wight and Co. along with the construction management firm Frederick Quinn Corporation (FQC) have attended Board of Education meetings and provided updates about the referendum construction projects. These projects are possible due to the April 2017 $24.2 million referendum. The two major projects being funded by the referendum include the building addition at Hadley Junior High School, eliminating the need for portables and adding two new music classrooms, as well as a new secure entryway at Churchill Elementary School.

In November, Wight and Co. presented an update to the Board at the November 6 meeting. They presented the latest renderings of the interior and exteriors at both Hadley and Churchill. The plan is for the construction bidding to begin in January and some construction to start this Spring. The Churchill entryway is expected to be complete by the start of next school year. The Hadley addition is expected to be complete by the start of the 2019/20 school year.

A public hearing related to these projects will be scheduled in January. Click Here to view the renderings for both projects.

Most recently, at the November 27 Special Board of Education meeting, the construction management company FQC presented a report on the costs associated with the projects. Click Here for the cost estimates.

The District will continue to keep the community informed and looks forward to completing the projects on time and within the referendum budget. Thank you for your support!
 


Budgeting and Financial Planning for the Future 

At the September 25, 2017 Board meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2017/18 budget, Click Here . Budgeting happens year round and the Board is already discussing the budget for next year. The Board asked the District to adjust the budgeting timeline in order to discuss plans earlier and ahead of the levy vote, when possible. The Board and District will continue to work with the community volunteer Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) on a format for the budget into the future.   

Currently, the Board is discussing a plan to ensure the District continues to be financially secure. In addition, the FAC also weighed in and submitted a report outlining how to accomplish the capital projects.  Click Here for the FAC report.  

At the November 20 Board meeting, Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Facilities and Operations Eric DePorter outlined the levy process and timeline. Click Here for the presentation by Mr. DePorter.

One of the items discussed during Mr. DePorter's presentation was the new growth estimate related to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL). Mr. DePorter explained that there are no adverse consequences to estimating high as the DuPage County Clerk will provide the actual numbers and will reduce the District's requested levy down to the actual new growth number.  Conversely, if the District were to estimate too low, the District will lose access to the taxing capacity connected to the new growth above the estimated level. In the past, the District tried to estimate close to what it actually could be and risked losing funds by not estimating high. Mr. DePorter's estimate will be intentionally higher this year in order to avoid losing this extra taxing capacity connected to new property growth.

An important element of this estimate is the related inflated percent increase of 4.4% over the previous year's levy. Once the DuPage County Clerk reduces the requested levy to be in line with actual new property growth, the year over year increase in the tax levy will drop below the 4.4% level.  

The Board asked the District to also provide a plan that reflects two percent in budget reductions. This does not mean that reductions are happening, at this point it is only a way to explore how to be as financially responsible as possible.

Since this request was made the District received the Annual Financial Report (AFR). Based on the AFR, the District increased the District fund balance by an additional $5.4 million. This was due to an increase of 2.5 percent in revenue and a reduction of 5.5 percent in expenditures.

The Board will continue to discuss the levy and the operating budget plan. The vote on the levy will take place at the December 18 Board meeting.  
 


Long-Range Plan Presentation

Superintendent Paul Gordon, Chief Communications Officer Erika Krehbiel and Board members President Stephanie Clark and Erica Nelson presented "Creating a New Long-Range Plan: Your District. Your Plan." at the Illinois Association of School Boards Annual Joint Conference on Saturday, November 18. "It was an honor to be chosen to present at this major conference for school boards and administrators in Chicago," said President Clark. "We are doing great work in District 41 and the new Long-Range Plan fosters greater focus and accountability."
 
District 41 launched the new 5-year plan last spring. To view the District 41 Long-Range Plan, Click Here .  



CONTACT THE BOARD
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Vice President (term ends April, 2019)
Secretary (term ends April, 2021)
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PLEASE NOTE: All emails sent to Board members are reviewed by the Board Recording Secretary and may be forwarded to the Superintendent as appropriate. Also, any email sent to a representative of District 41, employee or board member, constitutes a public record that may be released under the Freedom of Information Act.