Presenting the annual audit report at Thursday night’s school board meeting, superintendent Chuck Lane reported that Centralia High School kept recognition status with a financial profile score of 3.8. This score shows the district in a strong financial position overall. Lane noted that the district used to receive audits that weren’t nearly as positive. He said consistent state funding has been essential to the health of the district in recent years.
“The way schools are funded now is so much more equitable for schools in the south that are so reliant on state funding,” Lane said. “Up north they generate a lot more local wealth, so they don’t really depend much on state funding, where down here it’s just the opposite. Getting guaranteed funding like that has really made a difference.”
Looking at balances across the four main funds, Centralia’s education fund currently contains $5,218,748, the building fund has $679,902, the transportation fund has $317,025, and working cash has $1,169,275, for a total balance of $7,385,030.
The board approved a 4.98 percent tax levy, with Chuck Lane noting that because bonds are being paid off, the overall rate increase is only one quarter of one percent.
The board also passed a resolution in support of Illinois Vision 2030, a policy plan prioritizing future-focused learning, shared accountability, and predictable funding. The resolution has no immediate effect but calls the board’s attention to issues that the school district will have to adapt to in order to be prepared for the future.
In projects, work is underway on installing solar panels to provide power to the high school. When panels are complete, they are expected to provide 70 percent of the school’s energy. The solar project will be completed in late spring, depending on weather. Work also continues on a pole barn expansion, which may be completed in March and may feature a parking lot extension covered by the cost of the pole barn’s line item in the budget. The board will vote at the next meeting whether to add the parking lot for the pole barn.
The board accepted resignation letters from Austin Hinkel, annex security guard, effective December 31, and from Tommy Baro, math teacher, effective at the end of the school year.
