Naperville District 203 considers use of surplus funds for transportation facility        

Front ends of school buses, lined up in a row
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Faced with a high amount of cash reserves in the fund balance, Naperville School District 203 officials are in the preliminary stages of allocating some of the money toward a new transportation facility that would house bus operations long-term.

Naperville 203 has had a temporary trailer that the district’s transportation employees had been working out of for decades. This May, they vacated that trailer to move into a Naperville Central High School space for the summer, and will soon move into an office space in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue, with a lease agreement that runs until June 2026.

“The trailer that houses our transportation department has extended beyond its life,” Superintendent Dan Bridges said. “It needs to be replaced.”  

Naperville 203’s fund balance policy, and how it applies to this project

As outlined in a presentation at a board of education meeting Monday, July 14, Naperville 203’s board policy 4:20 states year-end fund balances should be in the range of 10% to 20% of the overall budget. 

Naperville 203’s fiscal year ended June 30, and final figures are still being tallied, Chief Financial Officer Mike Frances said.

“I don’t know the exact figure, but I anticipate (Naperville 203’s fund balance) to be around $25 million, and that’s about 28%,” Frances said in referencing the overall budget. 

Once all of the final figures are tallied, Frances said the fund balance “might change a percent or two,” meaning it will still be beyond the parameters the board set in policy 4:20. 

In prior years, when fund balances beyond the 20% threshold arose, Naperville 203 officials considered one of three options: taxpayer relief, non-recurring capital projects, and non-recurring expenses and investments tied to district initiatives. 

Project cost estimate could be as high as $17.4 million

Naperville 203 administrators emphasized their proposal was preliminary, but based on the plans in motion, the project would entail replacing the current transportation facility with new construction. 

The total cost estimate is $14.8 million to $17.4 million. Final figures would be known once Naperville 203 goes through the formal competitive bidding process. If approved, the project could go to bid this fall, with construction work potentially commencing as soon as this winter.

Bridges said it was important for Naperville 203’s transportation operations to remain at a centrally located site within the district’s footprint, which the Fifth Avenue site is deemed.

Other options beyond the current property, Bridges said, likely would be on the fringes of Naperville 203’s borders and “would really add to costs, as well as length of routes for our drivers.”

Several reasons were cited for the new facility, including increased safety, security and improved working conditions, a more energy efficient facility and better work space for drivers, office staff, and mechanics. 

Bus drivers viewed as an important part of district operations

During a wide-ranging discussion at the July 14 meeting, a question of potentially outsourcing transportation to a private company was raised.

“I have no interest in giving up our self-employed transportation department in any way,” Bridges said, in response to the suggestion. “I cannot imagine there is enough of a cost differential whatsoever.”

He later added, “They are Naperville 203 employees, and they are committed to the mission. I think we’re in a better position.”

Several board members agreed with Bridges’ assertion and spoke highly of the current practice of having in-house transportation, citing ease in contacting personnel with concerns and having regular bus drivers on routes throughout the school year.

Board member Holly Blastic recalled sending off her oldest child on the bus on the first day of kindergarten.

“I handed that tiny child off, and I knew that she would be safe,” Blastic said. “These are professional staff who care about 203 and care about our students. It checks all of the boxes for me.”

Based on consensus, the board was in agreement with the administrators’ proposal for policy 4:20. A formal vote is slated to take place at the next meeting Monday, Aug. 4.

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