McLean County Unit School District 5 Board Finance Committee met Jan. 16.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Name Present
Stan Gozur
Alex Williams
Dr. Kristen Weikle
Martin Hickman
Thomas Hoerr
Absent
OTHER UNIT 5 ATTENDEES
J ulie Hagler
D ayna Brown
Monthly Financials
Presenter: Mr. Hoerr
Mr. Hoerr presented the year-to-date financial statements as of December 2025. He noted that there are currently no major variances to report since the November financial update. These statements are finalized and will be included on the board agenda for the meeting scheduled for next week.
Transportation Budget
Presenter: Mr. Hickman
Mr. Hickman presented the updated Transportation Fund five-year forecast and distributed a sheet detailing the State Transportation Claim proration history to the committee. He highlighted that the fund is currently facing a deficit being covered by working cash, noting that even if the district received all lost proration revenue this year, it would not be enough to bridge the deficit gap. First Student costs have increased significantly, largely driven by a growing special education student population with specialized mid-day schedules. Because many costs are outside the district’s control, any further cost reductions would likely require cutting regular routes.
Looking ahead, negotiations with First Student are scheduled for this spring for the 2026-2027 school year. The committee also discussed rethinking transportation for 5th-grade band and orchestra, an initiative Administration has been brainstorming with music chairs. Board members on the Committee expressed their appreciation of these music programs, and the importance of finding a solution for transportation. Finally, a Committee member inquired about the political feasibility of engaging lawmakers or lobbyists to address these proration challenges with the State Transportation Claim.
Evans Classroom Space Needs
Presenter: Mr. Hickman
Mr. Hickman reported on the potential need for four temporary classrooms at Evans. Operations and Maintenance estimates site prep costs at $800,000 in addition to rental fees of the temporary classrooms. The Committee discussed the possibility of building an addition onto the existing building instead of temporary classrooms. If an addition is built, it most likely won’t be available for use until the 2027-28 school year. However, Evans administration believes they could manage for one year with the building as-is. Mr. Hickman noted that the district already possesses plans for an additional”pod”that was developed during the original construction of Evans.
Summer School
Presenter: Mr. Hickman
Mr. Hickman shared updates following a financial meeting with curriculum directors regarding summer school last week. Due to the loss of the Community Schools grant, which previously funded the majority of transportation costs for summer school, curriculum directors are currently reviewing all program offerings. As a result of the loss of funding, the district plans to consolidate summer school operations to one elementary school building this year instead of two.
CSFT Update
Presenter: Mr. Hickman
Mr. Hickman provided an update on County School Facility Tax (CSFT) funds, noting that revenue is currently running ahead of budget for the current fiscal year. The Operations and Maintenance department is planning to use CSFT funds to repair one high school track within the current fiscal year and the second track in fiscal year 2027, though both projects are slated for completion this summer. Additionally, the KJHS roof project will be split across the FY26 and FY27 budgets.
Public Comments
No members of the public were present for comment.
Adjournment & Next Meeting
The meeting adjourned at 4:31 PM.
https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/CustomMinutesForMeeting/1482?meeting=727110
