The District 300 Schools 2015 ISBE financial profile

During the December meeting of the Du Quoin Board of Education the word "alarming" was used to describe the "9" that the Du Quoin High School got on its battery of math PARCC tests, meaning that only 9 percent of those taking that test met or exceeded state expectations. Pinckneyville Community High School got a 23.

But, that concern pales by the concern for the financial numbers in the 2015 Illinois State Board of Education Dist. 300 financial profile (based on the 2014 audit).

That profile shows the district with a debt load of $16 million, a 2014 spending deficit of $932,481 and a total financial profile score of 2.80--yes, 2.80-- with 553 schools warranting recognition for financial stability and 38--including Du Quoin-- on the bottom of the list getting on the state's watch and warning lists. A 2.80 gets you on the warning list and the mandatory deficit reduction list.

You have to dig deep into the Illinois State Board of Education database to find the profile, but it's there and not much of the report has seen daylight in the last year at Du Quoin Board of Education meetings.

Actually, in late 2014 the board began using the term "deficit reduction plan" and began identifying ways to meet state demands to cut spending. Some progress has been made, much of it on the shoulders of staff retirements and attrition.

The numbers and current progress won't be fully identifiable until the new reports are out.

But, this is the picture the 2015 profile painted based on 2014 numbers

553 districts are on the state's recognition list..

199 schools are on the state's review list.

70 schools are on the state's early warning list.

38 schools districts are on the state's watch list.

Du Quoin Community Unit District 300 got a score of 2.80 which gets us on the warning list.

The board and superintendent Dr. Gary Kelly point to steady and dramatic declines in state aid during the past three years. That's certainly part of it.

You have to dig deep into the Illinois State Board of Education database to find the profile, but it's there and not much of the report has seen daylight in the last year at Du Quoin Board of Education meetings.

Actually, in late 2014 the board began using the term "deficit reduction plan" and began identifying ways to meet state demands to cut spending. Some progress has been made, much of it on the shoulders of staff retirements and attrition.

The numbers and current progress won't be fully identifiable until the new reports are out.

The report says District 300 had an outstanding debt load of $16,010.00 when ONLY $10,256,934.18 is allowed in this district under state guidelines. Dr. Kelly said the debt is acceptable because some of it is secured by the City of Du Quoin's sales tax being pledged to debt reduction.

The bottom of Page 4 of the report says: "Estimated 2015 Financial Profile Designation: WARNING"

The deficit report for the year shows direct revenues in the education fund of $10,568,972 and direct expenditures of $11,433,583 for a deficit of $864,611 in the education fund. If you factor in the operations and maintenance fund, the transportation fund and the working cash fund, the total deficit grew to $932,481.

The district's long term debt during the year totaled $16,010,000 with $4,805,000 from bonds issued in 2010; $3,920,000 with bonds issued in 2011; another $3,240,000 during a second issue of bonds in 2011; $1,525,000 in bonds issued in 2012 and $2,520,000 in bonds issued in 2013.

Some of the district's debt was backloaded, including the local share of bonding on the new high school that is being retired by the voter-approved one-cent sales tax. At the outset, very little money was going toward retirement of the principal meaning shoppers and the city have been paying much more interest than principal and will pay for a longer period.

In the private sector things like pay raises and putting concrete floors in the girls' bullpens would be non-issues.

That's never the case when taxpayers are writing the checks.

At the end of the day the district is keeping its head above water, coping with the state's financial problems and has fully begun to address the state's concerns. blueprinting several hundred thousand dollars in savings. We will have a discussion about that progress in the coming days with the superintendent. The next financial profile should show some marked improvement and countywide voter approval (although it didn't pass in District 300) of a 1 cent sales tax that can be used for capital repairs and debt reduction could help.

But, historically, financial problems are spending problems and both the Illinois State Board of Education and the taxpayers are watching.