Glen Ellyn School District 41 Glen Ellyn School District 41
 

Glen Ellyn School District 41 Mission: It is the mission of District 41 to advocate for students enabling each one to optimize his/her potential within a culture of continuous improvement.

Board Members: Terra Costa Howard President | John Kenwood Vice President | Erica Nelson Secretary | Kevin Cosgrove | John Vivoda | Steven Vondrak| Robert Solak
Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on December 1, 2008.   D41 began audio recording Board of Education meetings starting with the August 11, 2008 meeting. Henceforward, the MP3 files will be posted on www.d41.org   Minutes are posted once approved.
AUDIT SHOWS SOUND FINANCIAL PICTURE
District auditors presented an overview of the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008. (Click here for a pdf of the 123-page document.) The CAFR includes the independent auditor's report, basic financial statements and additional information about the District. John Rossi of Virchow, Krause & Co. said that the District is in sound financial condition, and its financial profile qualifies for the state's highest designation, "Financial Recognition." This ranking is based on fund balance-to-revenue ratio, expenditures-to-revenues ratio, days cash on hand, percent of short-term borrowing available, and percent of long-term debt remaining. Rossi noted that the District has done a good job of controlling expenses and has an appropriate level of cash reserves set aside in case of emergencies, late payments from the state or late taxes. Due to more stringent laws around accounting standards, the District had asked the auditors to conduct a one-time review of the District's internal processes. The report stated that good internal practices were in place and identified several areas for further segregation of duties within the business office.

Next Steps: The Board discussed and will take action on a contract for future audits at the Dec. 15 meeting.		 NEXT MEETING
The next Board of Education meeting is set for Monday, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. at Churchill School following the Truth in Taxation hearing. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. In addition, the district is hosting the following public meeting:
 
INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR POTENTIAL BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES
District 41 will have four Board of Education seats on the ballot April 7. Anyone interested in running for the Board of Education in District 41 is invited to attend an informational meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Churchill School to learn more about what it means to serve on a Board of Education. Also welcome are those who would like to learn more about the role of board member and the purpose and process of board governance, regardless of whether they are considering candidacy.
FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS SHOW TRENDS
District financial consultant PMA Financial Network provided the annual update of the district's five-year financial projections. PMA's forecasting formula uses hundreds of data points (such as expected health benefit and salary costs, inflation, and growth) to create financial projections the district can use for budgeting, scenario analysis and other planning purposes. These projections are dynamic, meaning they change as circumstances change. PMA's Mike Francis noted that the 2008 and forward forecasts factor in the current teacher contract and the latest figures for the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This last is a key element of the formula that drives local property taxes and therefore school district revenues. The Board discussed the impact of declining economic indicators such as CPI, home values and new construction. It also discussed the trends projected by PMA in comparison to previous years. Of interest is the turning point at which fund balances begin to decline and when deficit spending is projected to occur. The forecast is improved from last year's, partly due to measures the District has taken, such as staffing classrooms closer to target ranges, adopting a position-control approach to hiring replacement personnel, lower health benefit expenses, and prioritizing expenditures against a long-range plan. Click here for a pdf of the presentation.


TAX LEVY HEARING SET FOR DEC. 15
The annual Truth in Taxation hearing will be held Dec. 15, 7:15 p.m. at Churchill School, 240 Geneva Rd., Glen Ellyn. The levy is the total amount of taxes requested by the district. This year, the district is requesting an increase over last year of 7.52% and expects to actually receive an increase of approximately 5.29%. In the spring, the county clerk will calculate the actual amount (called the extension) that the district is eligible to receive under the tax cap. If the district has requested less than it is eligible to receive, the county clerk will not adjust the levy upward and the district will not be able to recoup that money in future years. If the district has requested more, the county clerk will adjust the levy down to comply with the tax cap. An individual's property tax bill is determined by the value of their property and may change by some other percentage. The tentative levy is posted on www.d41.org and on display at the D41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St.



CANDIDATE PACKETS AVAILABLE NOW
Four seats on the seven-member D41 Board of Education will be on the ballot in the April 7, 2009 election. Candidate packets may be picked up at the District 41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, on any business day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Candidates elected will serve four-year terms expiring in April 2013. To be eligible to run, a candidate must be on the date of election a US citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of Illinois and Glen Ellyn School District 41 for at least one year immediately preceding the election and a registered voter. For more information, please contact the District 41 Election Official, Maureen Stecker, at 630-534-7236 or mstecker@d41.org





About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation. 
Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.
Glen Ellyn School District 41