The Illinois State Board of Education released ranked annual financial reports for every school district in the state based on 2016 numbers on April 13.

In spite of economic uncertainty, the number of school districts in the ISBE’s lowest category, “financial watch,” fell from 32 in 2015 to 19 this year. More districts were ranked in the state’s top category, “financial recognition” with 632 this year compared with 568 in 2016.

Districts received a financial health score from 1 to 4, with four categories of designation for best to worst: Financial Recognition, Financial Review, Financial Warning and Financial Watch.

Financial watch districts, the lowest ranking, had several common traits, the report said. Districts with deficit spending were more reliant on state funding, were taxing at a higher rate than comparable districts and were depending on long- or short-term debt to sustain operations.

More districts were also ranked in the state’s top category, financial recognition with 632 this year compared with 568 in 2016.

State Superintendent Tony Smith said the numbers revealed “consequences of inadequate and inequitable state funding” in a press release.

The General Assembly budget impasse in 2015-16 left many state K-12 schools unsure whether they would have funds to remain open until June 30, when the legislature finally passed a “Stop-Gap” budget, releasing money for schools at the very end of their fiscal year. Yet, of 852 school districts reporting, the number of “deficit-spending” districts increased from 382 in 2015 to 409, or 48 percent in 2016.

 “Illinois must overhaul our school funding model, which is the most inadequate and the most inequitable in the country,” Smith said. “Every school district in the state is having to make hard choices to cover the day-to-day costs of keeping their schools’ doors open. Forcing school districts to rely primarily on taxing local property wealth to fund education inherently means the students who need the most will receive the least. We expect dedication, innovation, and improvement from our administrators, educators, and students; we owe them the resources necessary to meet those expectations.”

Administrators have had to make hard choices, the report said.

“[Administrators] have chosen to reduce expenditures via reductions in force, forgo supplies, delay facility repairs/maintenance, and delay purchase of replacement buses. They have also increased cash balances by issuing debt or restructuring debt payments. Districts are now at a point where additional budget reductions are going to be very difficult to realize without impacting the education of students,” the report said.

“Although the data points indicate a positive trend, what they do not reflect is the lost opportunities for children in this state as a result the continued state cash flow issues,” the report continued.

Districts were scored on five factors. The fund balance-to-revenue ratio reflects the district’s overall financial health by dividing the year-end balance of each of four funds by the fund’s total revenue. Funds are Education, Operations and Maintenance, Working Cash and Transportation. The expenditure-to-revenue ratio identifies how much is spent for every dollar received. The days cash-on-hand shows how long the district could maintain expenditures with no additional revenue. The highest scored districts have at least 180 days cash on hand. Finally, the ISBE evaluated the percentage amount of short-term and long-term debt the district can borrow.

Individual school district financial profiles can be found on the ISBE website at: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/School-District-Financial-Profile.aspx

 

Cook

In Cook County, a number of districts in the economically hard-hit Southwest suburbs showed financial improvements. The biggest jump was Summit-Argo High School, D104 in Summit, which improved its score from 2.45 (Financial Watch) in 2015 to 3.60 (Financial Recognition) in 2016.

Cook Co. Schools that improved in financial ranking

 

District                                                            2015 score                              2016 score

Alsip/Blue Island SD 130                    3.45 Review                            3.80 Recognition

Dolton SD 148                                     3.35 Review                            3.60 Recognition

Dolton SD 149                                     2.80 Early Warning                 3.60 Recognition

Hazel Crest SD 125.5                          3.35 Review                            3.60 Recognition

Homewood Flossmoor CHSD 233       3.35 Review                            3.80 Recognition

Hoover-Schrum Memorial SD 157      3.25 Review                            3.60 Recognition

Maywood/Melrose Park D89              3.25 Review                            3.60 Recognition

Penoyner SD 79                                   3.35 Review                            3.80 Recognition

Summit Argo HS 104                          2.45 Watch                             3.60 Recognition

Sunnybrook SD 171                             3.45 Review                            3.80 Recognition

Wheeling CCSD21                               2.30 Watch                             3.35 Review

 

Cook Co. school districts that dropped in financial rank:

 

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Elmwood Park CUSD 401        3.80 Recognition                     3.35 Review

ESD 159 (Matteson)               3.70 Recognition                     3.35 Review

LaGrange SD 102                    3.25 Review                            2.90 Early Warning

LaGrange SD   105 South        3.80 Recognition                     3.45 Review

Lyons SD 103                           3.80 Recognition                     3.45 Review

Prospect Heights SD 23                      3.80 Recognition                     3.45 Review

Thornton Twsp HS D 205        3.45 Review                            3.00 Early Warning

W Harvey-Dixmoor D147        3.25 Review                            2.90 Early Warning

Western Springs                     3.80 Recognition                     3.45 Review

 

 

DeKalb Co.

 

District                                                2015 score                  2016 score

DeKalb CUSD 428                    3.35 Review                3.70 Recognition

Genoa Kingston CUSD 424     3.65 Recognition         3.65 Recognition

Hiawatha CUSD 426               3.45 Review                3.80 Recognition

Hinckley Big Rock 429             3.35 Review                3.80 Recognition

Indian Creek CUSD 425                       4.00 Recognition         4.00 Recognition

Sandwich CUSD 430               2.65 Early Warning     3.45 Review

Somonauk CUSD 432             3.90 Recognition         3.90 Recognition

Sycamore CUSD 427               2.80 Early Warning     2.80 Early Warning

KANE Co

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Aurora East USD 131             3.35 Review                            3.70 Recognition

Aurora West USD 129                        2.65 Early Warning                 2.90 Early Warning

Batavia USD 101                     3.00 Early Warning                 3.45 Review

Central CUSD 301                   3.80 Recognition                     3.80 Recognition

CUSD 300                                3.60 Recognition                     3.60 Recognition

Geneva CUSD 304                   3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

Kaneland CUSD 302                3.35 Review                            3.00 Early Warning

SD U-46                                   3.80 Recognition                     3.80 Recognition

St Charles CUSD 303               4.0 Recognition                                   4.0 Recognition

Kendall Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

CUSD 308                                2.90 Early Warning                 2.80 Early Warning

Lisbon CCSD 90                       3.65 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Newark CCSD 66                     3.55 Recognition                     3.55 Recognition

Newark CHSD 18                     3.65 Recognition                     4.0 Recognition

Plano CUSD 88                        3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

Yorkville CUSD 115                 3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

McHenry Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Alden Hebron SD 19                4.00 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Cary CCSD 26                           3.70 Recognition                     3.80 Recognition

CHSD 155                                4.00 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Crystal Lake CCSD 47              3.90 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Fox River Grove Cons SD 3     3.90 Recognition                     3.90 Recognition

Harrison SD 36                                    3.80 Recognition                     3.45 Review

Harvard CUSD 50                    3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

Huntley CSD 158                     3.80 Recognition                    3.80 Recognition

Johnsburg CUSD 12                 2.00 Watch                             2.35 Watch

Marengo CHSD 154                 3.65 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Marengo-Union E Cons 165    4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

McHenry CCSD 15                   3.90 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

McHenry CHSD 156                 3.90 Recognition                     3.90 Recognition

Nippersink SD 2                      4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Prairie Grove CSD 46              3.90 Recognition                     3.90 Recognition

Richmond-Burton CHSD 157   3.90 Recognition                     3.90 Recognition

Riley CCSD 18                          4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Woodstock CUSD 200                         3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

McClean Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Bloomington SD 87                 3.90 Recognition                     3.55 Recognition

Heyworth CUSD 4                   3.35 Review                            3.70 Recognition

LeRoy CUSD 2                         3.35 Review                            3.35 Review

Lexington CUSD 7                   3.35 Review                            3.70 Recognition

McLean County USD 5                        3.25 Review                            3.25 Review

Olympia CUSD 16                   3.45 Review                            3.90 Recognition

Ridgeview CUSD 19                4.00 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Tri Valley CUSD 3                    3.65 Recognition                     3.90 Recognition

Peoria Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Peoria Heights CUSD 325       3.45 Review                            3.55 Recognition

Peoria SD 150                         2.80 Early Warning                 2.90 Early Warning

Pleasant Hill SD 69                 3.55 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Pleasant Valley SD 62             4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

WINNEBAGO  Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

Hononegah CHD 207                           N/A                             3.55 Recognition

Kinnikinnick CCSD 131                         4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Pecatonica CUSD 321             3.65 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Prairie Hill CCSD 133               3.70 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

Rockford SD 205                     3.70 Recognition                     3.60 Recognition

Rockton SD 140                       380 Recognition                      390 Recognition

Shirland CCSD 134                  4.00 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Winnebago CUSD 323                        3.65 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

WOODFORD Co.

District                                                2015 score                              2016 score

County of Woodford School    4.00 Recognition                                 4.00 Recognition

El Paso-Gridley CUSD 11        3.10 Review                            3.45 Review

Eureka CUD 140                      3.65 Recognition                     4.00 Recognition

Fieldcrest CUSD 6                   3.45 Review                            3.45 Review

Germantown Hills SD 69        3.65 Recognition                     3.70 Recognition

Lowpoint-Washburn CUSD 21            3.55 Recognition                     3.55 Recognition

Metamora CCSD 1                  3.25 Review                            3.65 Recognition

Riverview CCSD 2                    3.65 Recognition                     3.65 Recognition

Roanoke Benson CUSD 60      3.35 Review                            3.35 Review

 

 

 

 

— School districts financial footing improves throughout the state —