South Central Superintendent Kerry Herdes updated the District’s Board of Education at their recent meeting about the ongoing capital development project in the district, and the money owed by the state to complete the project.
The District is owed $6.9 million by the state. Herdes talked about a bill recently passed by the Illinois House that would allocate $8.2 million to South Central Schools. This would allow the district to continue plans with the additions and renovation at the High School. Herdes said he is cautiously optimistic about the opportunity to have funding restored.
Herdes also gave a budget and funding brief to the board on the latest General State Aid Appropriation Bill for Fiscal Year 2017. The appropriation bill shows the district has lost $583,378 over the last five years in General State Aid and Transportation alone, if you look at what should have been paid at 100% which is stated in school law that $583,378 more than doubles. The district has cut $1 million dollars over the past six years to try and offset revenue sources and continues to struggle like the rest of the school in southern Illinois in this position.