The New Lenox School District 122 Board of Education has approved a tentative budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year, maintaining its long-standing practice of balanced budgets funded by existing cash reserves and operating surpluses to avoid new debt.

The board’s action on June 17 makes the preliminary budget available for public review for at least 30 days before a formal public hearing, which is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on September 16 at Martino Junior High. The board is expected to vote on the final budget later that month.

According to a report from Business Manager Robert Groos, the tentative budget is consistent with the five-year financial forecast presented to the board earlier in June. The district’s financial strategy emphasizes maintaining healthy cash reserves for cash flow and long-term security, structuring programs to generate an annual operating surplus, and using those surpluses to fund capital projects without issuing new bonds.

“This tentative budget continues our commitment to a sound and sustainable financial plan,” Groos stated in his report. “Sufficient fund balances and an operating surplus allow NLSD122 to continue offering high-quality programs… as well as continue to maintain and renovate District school buildings without the need to issue more debt.”

The district’s financial documents highlight a strong fiscal condition, including 11 consecutive years of balanced budgets and no additional debt issued since 2013. A five-year forecast projects operating revenues will continue to outpace expenditures through fiscal year 2030. The district also successfully completed a bond refinancing project in April 2022 that is projected to save taxpayers over $13 million.

The approval of the tentative budget is a key step in the annual budget process. The document will be finalized in September after the district receives updated funding information from the state, which is typically released in late August or early September.

The board approved the tentative budget and public hearing notice with a motion from board member Bill Pender, seconded by Fay Bowie. The motion passed, with board member Al Haring voting nay.