LM Mar 2025

opportunity costs for schools and the students they serve, district leaders say. Like Sornberger in Jasper County, Dr. Blankenship said he could potentially hire up to four teachers at Scott-Morgan CUSD #2 with $200,000 he uses to cover the transportation shortfall. At Lyons Twp HSD #204, a Tier 4 district, Superintendent Dr. Brian Waterman said he has been able to weather a funding gap of $200,000-$250,000 per year through local resources. However, like the others, he said he would love to be able to hire additional teachers or use the dollars for capital projects. Similarly, Palatine CCSD #15 officials say the funds used for transportation could be allocated to support student academic and social emotional needs in the form of additional teachers,

academic and behavioral interventionists, and coaches. In Downers Grove, Dr. Thiele said he would love to be able to do more to combat absenteeism and support students with 504 accommodations, a classification for a student who does not require specialized instruction but needs additional accommo dations to ensure equal access to education. “There is a lot of support that all of us feel like we want to have more of. When you’re in the position of revenues not meeting expenses, it’s incredibly hard to add those additional resources,” Dr. Thiele said. “It’s getting to a point where there will only be two levers schools can really pull on: make cuts or increase local property taxes.”

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7 LM March 2025