Schools
District 27 Board to Vote on Downsized Budget
Initiatives taken in 2007 pay dividends in helping to cut costs at the 3 schools in Northbrook.
Members of Northbrook's school board will vote on a proposed $22.9 million balanced budget for the 2011-2012 fiscal year Thursday.
After closed Grove School in 2008 to help reduce costs, its operating budget has decreased by 1.9 percent from the prior year. Overall, the total budget decreased by 11.39 percent from the prior year due to the completion of construction projects at and elementary schools.
“The majority of the budget reductions are due to overall staff reductions, maintaining a 0 percent increase on supplies and material, and continued cost containment effort,” said Kimberly Arakelian, assistant superintendent of finance and operations.
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The staff reductions come from ’s initiative of 2007-2008, when the board decided to reconfigure the grade levels in the district and reduce the number of school buildings, which now stands at three.
“ is now operating with three school buildings versus four, thereby also impacting the staffing plan in terms of reductions,” Arakelian said.
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Over the last 11 years, has targeted cost containment efforts in the areas of telecommunications, energy, insurance, transportation, grant programs, staffing pattern changes and elsewhere, according to Arakelian.
“These efforts over the past 11 years have produced over $3.8 million in cost containment for the district,” she said. “ currently has no long-term debt.”
School board members will vote on the proposed budget at a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at , 1250 Sanders Rd.
