D41 Board Highlights

Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on February 7, 2011. An MP3 recording of the meeting is available on www.d41.org Minutes are posted once approved.

PLANNING FOR A HEALTHY FINANICIAL FUTURE
Assistant Superintendent for Finance, Facilities and Operations Bob Ciserella reviewed the district's approach for maintaining long-term financial health consistent with the district's vision, mission, and educational priorities. Today the district is financially healthy and has earned the state's highest financial rating. The district must plan how to maintain this health in the face of continuing stagnant or decreasing revenues, cost increases of 5% a year, unstable state funding, and future large expenditures such as roof replacements and technology roll outs. Forecasting done by PMA Financial Network shows that without taking action, the district begins deficit spending by 2013 (in other words, using reserves for operations). The district intends to avoid this scenario by keeping down salary and benefit costs and finding operational efficiencies. Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock noted that the district reduced expenses by about $3 million going into this year and it will benefit from the compounding impact of those economies. Among the ways the district will find further cost reductions over the years will be by continuing class size target ranges that it can afford, evaluating each open position to see if assignments can be realigned rather than filling the position, and closely examining costs associated with after-school programs and professional activities. The goal is for the district to live within its means and maintain adequate reserves.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next BOE meeting is Feb. 21 at Abraham Lincoln School. It will convene immediately following the conclusion of the 7:15 p.m. public hearing for holiday waivers. The March 7 BOE meeting will be held at 7:15 at the Central Services Office. The public is always welcome.

CLASS SIZE TARGETS UNCHANGED
The BOE approved the administration's recommendation to keep class-size targets and the process for deviating from them unchanged. The matter was discussed at the Jan. 18 meeting

BAKER TILLY TO CONTINUE AS DISTRICT AUDITOR
The BOE approved the administrative recommendation to continue using Baker Tilly for auditing services. The matter was discussed at the Jan. 18 meeting

BOARD POLICY REVISIONS APPROVED
The BOE approved policy revisions in Policy Section 2, most of which cover aspects of board governance. It delayed action on one policy section relative to the board officer election process, and will review the revised language at an upcoming meeting.

FINANCE COMMITTEE REPORTS ON SPALDING SITE; OTHER BOARD REPORTS
Finance Committee Chair Bob Solak updated the BOE on the work of the committee on the Master Facility Plan. The committee's charge is to dig deeply into the 2009 recommendation from the MFP Steering Committee and make a recommendation for next steps for the full board to consider. At the Feb. 7 Finance Committee meeting, FGM Architects presented a diagram of an elementary school on the vacant Spalding site; at 4.72 acres, it is slightly smaller than Forest Glen's site, and would be the smallest site in the district. The purpose was to see if a new school of the size needed would fit on the site, and was one of the final pieces of the Finance Committee's analysis. The depicted school is more than twice the size of the original Spalding School that was closed in 1978 and demolished in 1997 and includes the required 116 parking spaces and areas for buses and outdoor play. The committee will present its findings to the full board Feb. 21. In other reports, BOE members summarized information from PTA, SERC, and Teams for Excellence meetings. Dr. Riebock saluted the district's buildings and grounds personnel for their outstanding around-the-clock efforts to clear snow so that school could reopen on Friday. Schools were closed Feb. 2 and 3 due to snow, administrative offices were closed on Feb. 2 only.

NO INCREASE RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENT FEES
The BOE discussed the administrative recommendation to keep fees flat for the third year in a row. Illinois schools are permitted to charge fees to offset certain costs. Basic fees range from $56 to $115. Activity fees are $30 for the first activity and decline to $3.75 for the fourth and subsequent activity. Fees for pass-through expenses for things like gym uniforms will be established later when prices are available. The BOE is expected to take action at the Feb. 21 meeting.

DISCUSSION OF ELECTRIC SERVICES BID
The BOE discussed the administration's recommendation to accept the lowest of five bids for electric services from Integrys Energy Services for $0.05333 per kilowatt hour from March 21, 2011 through Dec. 31, 2013. The rate will not be locked in until the BOE approves the contract. The BOE is expected to take action at the Feb. 21 meeting.

BOE DISCUSSES RESERVE FUND USE
How should the district determine the amount of money to keep in reserve? When and how should this money be spent? Should the BOE develop a policy for reserve funds? Reserve funds are those that are not designated for a specific purpose and that the district may accumulate in anticipation of a large expenditure or use in case of emergency, when payments from the state are late, or for other unanticipated expenses. The BOE began its discussion with a review of the fund balances in the six Glenbard associated districts, which range from a low of 14% to a high of 92% as compared to overall revenues. D41's fund balance is 27% of its annual revenues, or just over $11 million. District auditor Baker Tilly has advised the BOE that 30% of annual revenue in reserve is desirable. The BOE intends to continue the discussion at a future meeting, probably in April.

About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation.

Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.

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