The Prairie Central school board adopted the Fiscal Year 25 budget during Thursday’s regular September meeting in the Prairie Central High School library.
This includes a budgeted fund balance of $36,689,811 on June 30, 2025. Total budgeted revenue is $33,717,062 with expenditures at $30,023,155. Budgeted board facility projects expenditures are $4,750,000. The fund balance on June 30 of this year was $35,568,903.
Overall, the budget shows deficits in Operations and Maintenance, Transportation, Fire Prevention and Safety, Debt Service and Capital Projects funds due to the planned facility improvement projects around the district. Superintendent Paula Crane says the Transportation fund is difficult to keep in the black due to the expansive landmass and number of miles traveled.
Education and Working Cash funds show more in revenue than expenditures and the Tort fund shows an increase. Increases in expenditures were noted in the Education fund.
The budget will be forwarded to the Illinois State Board of Education and area county clerks. The full budget can be found on the Prairie Central website.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, the board appointed Corey Steffen to fill the board position previously held by Tim McGreal who resigned. Steffen had served on the PC Board of Education from 2011 to 2019. This position is up for re-lection in April 2025. Steffen was chosen after three interviews during an executive session.
Brian Quam, director of curriculum, instruction and technology, presented information on testing data and how the district uses it. He met with every department at the high school examining the pros and cons of schedules.
“Every department has different needs,” Quam said.
He noted the high school staff overwhelmingly wants to keep the block schedule.
PC has been giving the SAT test since 2017 and Quam looked at overall composite data and trends. From 2017 forward, they began to see a drop as was the case with the state average and a number of surrounding schools. Quam said math scores dropped over time.
IAR scores were reviewed for the junior high and Quam explained how individual standards assessments are used to help improve instruction. School improvement goals are set using these scores.
Dr. Jenifer McGowan, K-6 director of curriculum and instruction, presented information on the lower grade levels. She highlighted six commitments discussed at grade level meetings.
“We are always focused on growth and meeting our goals,” explained McGowan. “We’ve got some good goals happening.”
Each school has an improvement plan with most plans focusing on reading, math and climate/culture. These plans are reviewed and shared with schools and the district continues to focus on grading practices, assessments and opportunities to increase parent participation.
McGowan reviewed K-6 data trends over the past few years and IAR information was included to show how grade levels were progressing along with state data.
“We tend to get stronger the older our kids are,” observed McGowan.
An intervention overhaul took place at the fifth and sixth grade levels and sixth grade has switched math to be more in line with the junior high and high school.
Superintendent Crane presented information on sixth-day enrollment which is steady from last year. The district has three more students enrolled compared to the same day last year. Some of this is due to an increase in the pre-K population. High school enrollment is under 500 for the first time. Overall enrollment in the district is 1722.
Crane shared information on the “innovation grant” winners which include coding activities for second through fourth grade students, an “Exploring Biographies” unit in fifth grade, a sixth grade “Taking Care of our Community” project and implementation of a literacy-based program encouraging students to develop a love of reading.
Each of the four projects will receive $500 as the board agreed to fund all of the projects.
“It’s something that gets kids engaged and that’s what we want,” stated Crane.
Crane also presented updated bond finance information to board members. With a modest increase in EAV and the predicted interest rates, Crane feels the district can finance all of the proposed building projects with the $45 million bond with no increase in the tax rate to district taxpayers.
Air conditioning updates to buildings are planned along with a new Pre-K to fourth grade building depending on the outcome of a question on the November 5 ballot.
Under new business, the board approved two overnight trip requests which included the FCCLA attending a conference in Springfield later this month and FFA attending the National Convention in Indianapolis Oct. 21-25.
Crane asked for board approval to write a maintenance grant which would bring $50,000 into the district to help pay for window replacements, namely the Lincoln Wing of the high school and one of the rooms at Prairie Central Upper Elementary. This grant requires a matching contribution of $50,000.
Following an executive session, the board approved:
Tyler Webster (7th grade baseball coach, effective FY25)
Danielle Seifrit (van driver, effective FY25)
Valerie Buell (PCE café worker and bus monitor, effective immediately)
Katie Jchimiak (bus monitor, effective immediately)
Claire Schuelin (JH track coach, effective FY25)
Keira Kirby (sophomore class sponsor, effective FY25)
The following resignations were approved:
Linda Walter, HS parapro, with intent to retire end of 24-25 school year.
Scott Willi, sophomore class sponsor, effective FY25.
Angelica Pruitt, PCE custodian, effective 9-25-2024.
Jessica Embrey, bus monitor, with intent to retire August 15, 2025.
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