Plainfield SD 202 board adopts $460.2 million FY2027 budget, approves transfers and summer payments

Barb Bridal, serving as president pro tem, opened and closed a public hearing on the district's fiscal year 2027 budget after the treasurer read required disclosures under Public Act 102-0895 (Ill. Sch. Code §17-1.3). Rick Engstrom read cash-balance figures across district funds and the meeting proceeded to discussion and a final vote.

The board's budget presentation described total FY2027 expenditures of $460,200,000 and an operating budget of $424,600,000. The finance presenter noted a meritorious budget award from the Association of School Business Officials International and said the operating budget includes a $1.5 million increase over the prior year targeted at priorities such as a new eighth-period high school offering and competitive compensation.

Consultants and staff explained that the district is projecting planned deficits for FY26–27 driven in part by a shift in state funding status and a lower comparable wage index (CWI), and outlined revenue assumptions (local property taxes ~ $232 million; state evidence-based funding ~$136.5 million; federal/restricted ~$34 million). Treasurer Rick Engstrom also summarized month-end cash balances: education fund $11,481,978.12; operations/maintenance $5,069,744.77; debt service $7,941,113.13; transportation $21,908,325.59; IMRF/Social Security $482,925.85; capital projects $4,823,387.52; working cash $58,192,086.38; tort fund $2,018,139.03; total $111,917,700.39.

After discussion, the board moved to approve the FY2027 budget as presented and then authorized payment of summer bill runs. The board also approved resolutions transferring funds from fund 10 to fund 60 (capital improvements), from fund 10 to fund 30, and approved working-cash resolutions. The motions were carried by roll call as recorded in the meeting transcript; the transcript records 'yes' votes from trustees during roll calls but does not provide a consolidated numeric tally in the record provided.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the transcript):
- FY2027 budget approval: motion made from the floor; approved by roll call (exact consolidated tally not specified in the transcript).
- Authorization of summer bill runs and transfers (fund 10 to fund 60; fund 10 to fund 30; working cash): motion and second carried by roll call (exact consolidated tally not specified).

Additional board actions recorded in the meeting included delegation of hiring authority to the superintendent for the 2026–27 year, approval of agenda items numbered 9.5–9.11, approval of recalled educational support personnel for the 2026–27 school year, and a student-discipline motion to alternatively place a student for two years or until graduation; these motions carried as recorded. The transcript documents the motions, seconds, and roll-call affirmations but does not include a complete, tabulated roll-call list for every item in a single count.

The board is scheduled to meet next on Wednesday, Aug. 5 (closed session 6:30 p.m., public session 7:30 p.m.).