By HOI ABC
NORMAL – McLean County’s largest school district is planning a series of public engagement sessions – the first three scheduled later this month – in a process that might result in a tax hike referendum to reduce multi-million dollar budget deficits in the coming years.
At Wednesday night’s Unit 5 school board meeting, Superintendent Kristen Weikle did not mention the possibility of a referendum. However, board member Barry Hitchins said a meeting in early March that a referendum will be needed at some point.
Also in March, the board approved $2.1 million in budget cuts, including the elimination of 36 teacher and staff positions, but that represents only a fraction of the education fund deficit that’s projected to grow from $14 million next fiscal year to $32.5 million in fiscal year 2027.
School leaders also noted Unit 5′s tax rate of $2.72 per $100 of assessed valuation has increased just 10 cents from $2.62 over the past 39 years.
“In order to put Unit 5 on more stable financial footing and ensure our students continue to have access to the quality education they deserve, we need our community to come together to collaborate on a plan for the future of our school district,” Weikle said Wednesday night.
“Over the next several months, we will be engaging members of the community to help us develop a sustainable, long-term plan for Unit 5′s future,” said Weikle.
Unit 5 students, staffers, parents, and other community members are invited to attend the following sessions:
- Saturday, April 23 -11:30 am to 12:30 pm – Normal West High School, 501 N. Parkside Road, Normal.
- Monday, April 25 – 6 to 7:30 pm – Kingsley Junior High School, 303 Kingsley St., Normal.
- Tuesday, April 26 – 6 to 7:30 pm – Virtual Meeting – please register at Webinar Registration – Zoom
