Volunteer panel set to examine finances, advise District 64

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Updated: March 10, 2012 8:15AM

A standing committee of parents, teachers and other residents begin work this month to assist Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 with financial matters.

The district hosted two informational sessions about its Community Finance Committee in late January that attracted 35 residents, many of whom have a background in banking, law and finance.

The committee’s first meeting is 7-9 p.m. Feb. 7 at the District 64 Educational Service Center, 164 S. Prospect Ave.

The volunteer group aims to provide research, analysis and advice to district officials on issues related to taxpayer education; the district’s 10-year financial projections; transparency and reporting; student fees; and borrowing opportunities.

Since the Board of Education created the Community Finance Committee in 2004, members have tackled issues related to rebidding professional services like bus transportation, providing the public with information about district spending, and seeking alternative and additional revenue sources.

The committee also made the recommendation in 2006 for the district to seek a tax-rate referendum, which voters passed in April 2007.

“Our district has a rich history of our citizens serving,” said Genie Taddeo, who serves as co-coordinator of the committee with Ares Dalianis.

“We’re a community of a variety of people so we want to be able to explain and hear (information) from a variety of perspectives,” Taddeo said.

At the Jan. 25 informational meeting, resident Cathy Krawitz said it is critical the district remain transparent about salary and benefits costs.

“It all comes down to the expenses and contracts and pensions,” Krawitz said, adding that without scrutinizing this information, “you can’t really address where you’re going from a revenue standpoint.”

Business Manager Rebecca Allard said teacher contracts, separate work agreements, benefits costs, and administrative and pension salaries are posted on the district’s website.

The structure of student fees is a past topic of the committee that will be re-examined in the spring.

Current annual student fees are between $300 and $315.

Superintendent Philip Bender said asking and educating parents about sharing in the cost of their children’s education is a necessary discussion, as only about 20 percent of taxpaying households have students currently enrolled in the district.

Local property taxes make up 83 percent of the district’s $70.3-million budget for the 2011-12 school year.

In December the Board of Education adopted a $59.3-million tax levy that is 4.99 percent higher than last year’s amount, though the district estimates it will only receive about 2.06 percent.

Bender said future tax-rate referendums are always possibility and the standing committee is an opportunity for residents to learn and strategize about the district’s finances.

“It’s not unusual in this part of the state for (tax increases) to happen,” Bender said. “But we have to be good stewards of money that we have.”

He added: “We don’t want to find ourselves reacting to a problem. We want to be as proactive as we possibly can.”

Residents interested in volunteering in the spring to help develop the committee’s reports and recommendations may contact District 64 by calling (847) 318-4300. A background in finance is not required.