Kankakee Times

The Bourbonnais Elementary District 53 School Board recently approved a budget for fiscal year 2021 that projects about $26.8 million in revenue and $27.4 million in expenses, with a total deficit of roughly $544,000.

The Daily Journal reported that Dennis Crawford, chief school business official for the district, prepared the budget based on the assumption that the school will return to normal, pre-pandemic operations. He presented the budget to the school board and explained that the district’s revenue will be down in several areas.

“This was a very difficult budget, probably the hardest that I’ve worked on,” Crawford said. “With COVID, there are so many unknowns, as we all have experienced; there are so many things that come about that we never thought would happen.”

Factors contributing to the deficit include: a decline in state categorical grants resulting from the district not spending as much money on transportation, a decline in fees derived from school enrollment as a result of parents not enrolling students in school because of COVID-19, decreased revenue from interest payments, and expenses stemming from increased salaries for district employees.

State evidence-based funding will remain flat from last year, with a projected amount of about $7 million and the district expects a $235,000 increase in tax revenue because of a rise in the Consumer Price Index.

The district is also receiving a one time-payment of $477,000 from the federal CARES Act for COVID-19 expenses.