Return to Learn Support
Naperville School District 203’s tentative 2021-2022 budget includes multiple Return to Learn supports for students due to the effects of the pandemic.
14 math specialists, with at least one in each school building, 12 learning behavior/english learner specialists, and two social workers will be brought on. There will also be a Jump Start program which will cost $610,000, math and writing tutoring for $1.5 million, mental health services for $4,500, and learning boot camps to strengthen essential skills for $51,000.
“Together the staffing and other return to learn initiatives total almost $5 million. To fund these initiatives, we plan on using the dollars we received from the American Rescue Act,” said chief financial officer Mike Frances at the board of education meeting. “This latest federal grant is estimated to be approximately $6.4 million for District 203 which will cover all of these costs for this year and some into the next school year.”
More Staff
The proposed $306.3 million dollar budget also accounts for a supervisor of special education, assistant superintendent of administrative services, and eight other staff positions. This means there would be an increase of $11.9 million in salaries and benefits compared to the last budget. Salaries and benefits make up almost 77% of district expenses.
Frances said revenue is expected to increase from almost $294 million to $305.6 million, but overall expenses are expected to increase 4.3% in the proposed budget. He said the district is expecting a “slight deficit budget of approximately $735,000, which is less than one quarter of 1% of the overall expected spend for the upcoming year.”
Other Proposed Expenses
The proposed budget also accounts for installing a GPS system for all school buses, professional leadership development for two employees per year in the human resources department, and a compensation study.
The board will have a budget workshop at the May 18 and June 7 board of education meetings. They plan to vote on the proposed budget at the June 21 meeting.
Naperville News 17’s Aysha Ashley Househ reports.
