LW-SB-AUG.2

Lincoln-Way Board Reviews $162 Million Tentative Budget, Projects Deficit Due to Bus Purchase Timing

Article Summary: The Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Board of Education reviewed a tentative $162.5 million budget for Fiscal Year 2026, which includes a 5.48% increase in operating expenses and a planned, one-time operating deficit of $1.6 million caused by the timing of a final payment for new buses. Despite the on-paper deficit, officials project an underlying operating surplus and a healthy end-of-year fund balance of nearly 34%.

Lincoln-Way School District 210 Key Points:

  • Total Expenditures: The tentative FY2026 all-funds budget projects total expenditures of $162.5 million.

  • Operating Expenses: Operating expenditures are set to increase by 5.48% to $125.4 million, driven primarily by a 4.4% rise in salaries and benefits and a 9.7% increase in tuition and fees.

  • Planned Deficit: The budget includes a one-time, planned operating deficit of $1,647,266, which is attributed to the final $2.8 million payment for a fleet of new buses whose purchase was funded in the previous fiscal year.

  • Fund Balance: The district projects its operating fund balance will end the year at $42.1 million, or 33.6% of expenditures, in compliance with board policy.

NEW LENOX – The Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210 Board of Education on Monday reviewed a tentative fiscal year 2026 budget that anticipates a 5.48% increase in operating spending and reflects a planned, temporary operating deficit due to the final payment for a new bus fleet.

Michael Duback, Assistant Superintendent & Treasurer, presented the $162.5 million all-funds budget, detailing the financial plan for the 2025-2026 school year. Operating revenues are projected to increase by 2.94% to $126.9 million, while operating expenditures are budgeted to rise to $125.4 million.

The main drivers of the spending increase are salaries and benefits, which are budgeted at a combined $87.4 million, a 4.4% increase over the prior year. Duback credited the district’s business and HR teams for their accuracy, noting that last year’s spending on salaries and benefits was within 0.3% of the initial budget.

Another significant increase is in tuition, dues, and fees, which are projected to jump 9.7% to $6.1 million. This includes an estimated $300,000 increase for private facility tuition for students with needs the district cannot meet in-house. It also accounts for an anticipated 7.5% to 11% cost increase from the Lincoln-Way Special Education District 843 cooperative.

“That’s going to be hard for us to plan for if that high of a trend continues,” Duback said of the District 843 increase.

On the revenue side, local sources, which account for 70% of the district’s funding, are expected to grow by 3.66%. State revenues will increase more modestly, as the district transitions from a “Tier 1” to a “Tier 2” funding status, resulting in a smaller increase in Evidence-Based Funding. Federal revenues are projected to decrease by 8%, partly due to the expiration of pandemic-era relief funds and lower grant allocations for special education and professional development.

Duback highlighted a key element of the budget: a planned, one-time operating deficit of $1,647,266. He explained this was an intentional accounting result of receiving all bond proceeds for new buses last fiscal year, while making the final $2.8 million payment for them in the current fiscal year.

“That was planned for. It is not a compounding issue,” Duback assured the board. He noted that when this single payment is excluded, the district shows an underlying operating surplus of approximately $2.2 million.

The budget also earmarks $3 million for capital improvement projects, separate from the major life safety HVAC work scheduled for the summers of 2026 and 2027. Board President Aaron P. Janik suggested seeking bids for other maintenance needs as alternates to the large HVAC project, which could potentially save the district money.

The board will continue to monitor several factors before the budget is finalized, including federal grant allocations, final staffing numbers, and the possibility of another bus purchasing round.

The tentative budget is now on public display for 30 days. A public hearing and final vote on the budget are scheduled for the board’s September 18 meeting.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Judge denies Trump DOJ request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records

Judge denies Trump DOJ request to unseal Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury records

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The Trump administration is facing another setback in attempting to curb backlash over its chameleonic handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, with another federal judge...
FAA partners with college to train next generation air traffic controllers

FAA partners with college to train next generation air traffic controllers

By Ashley Olds |The Center Square To expand specialized training under the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative, the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Monday that the...
Judge denies Madigan’s motion to remain free pending appeal

Judge denies Madigan’s motion to remain free pending appeal

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – U.S. District Court Judge John Robert Blakey has denied former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s request to...
The U.S. Department of Education launches nationwide tour

The U.S. Department of Education launches nationwide tour

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The Department of Education launched a national tour this month in its continuing efforts to dismantle the agency and revert power back to the states....
Trump takes aim at Chicago crime, no-cash bail while singling out Pritzker

Trump takes aim at Chicago crime, no-cash bail while singling out Pritzker

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – President Donald Trump says Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is incompetent, that he may send the national guard...
Burrows: Only thing standing in the way of disaster relief are missing Democrats

Burrows: Only thing standing in the way of disaster relief are missing Democrats

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square (The Center Square ) – Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gaveled in the Texas House on Monday, and again, no quorum was reached. Only...
Trump confirms Nvidia chip agreement

Trump confirms Nvidia chip agreement

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Nvidia will pay the United States 15% of the money it makes from selling artificial intelligence chips to China, President Donald Trump said in a...
States challenge federal report promoting coal plants

States challenge federal report promoting coal plants

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Michigan has joined a coalition of states challenging a Department of Energy report claiming the U.S. will face a significantly increased risk of power outages...
U.S. Supreme Court could rule on Texas lawsuits brought in Democratic-led state courts

U.S. Supreme Court could rule on Texas lawsuits brought in Democratic-led state courts

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square If courts in Democratic-led states don’t honor a request by the Texas House of Representatives to domesticate civil warrants for the arrest of absconding Texas...
WATCH: Illinois In Focus Daily | Monday Aug. 11th, 2025

WATCH: Illinois In Focus Daily | Monday Aug. 11th, 2025

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews the latest...
Illinois quick hits: Judge denies Madigan's motion; legislator urges action on DCFS interns

Illinois quick hits: Judge denies Madigan’s motion; legislator urges action on DCFS interns

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Judge denies Madigan's motion U.S. District Court Judge John Robert Blakey has denied former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s motion to...
Windmill Media Logo

About Us

Your Community, Your News. Welcome to Windmill Media! Our name was inspired by the windmills that once stood as centers of town life, harnessing a natural force to power and...
Everyday Economics: CPI takes center stage as tariff-driven price pressures mount

Everyday Economics: CPI takes center stage as tariff-driven price pressures mount

By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square The economy was already slowing, and that was before higher tariffs kicked in last week, raising import taxes to the highest level since the Great...
Net negative migration is harmful to the economy, economists say

Net negative migration is harmful to the economy, economists say

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square Though the economy and immigration were issues that helped President Donald Trump secure the White House, some economists have said that too steep a decline...
Details pending on billions in foreign investments coming from trade deals

Details pending on billions in foreign investments coming from trade deals

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square When President Donald Trump announced a string of trade deals with key U.S. trading partners recently, he touted pledges for billions of dollars in U.S....