At a Glance

• The District is taking proactive steps to align spending with current enrollment and available funding to ensure long-term financial stability.

• Budget decisions will continue to prioritize classroom instruction, student safety, mandated services, and the programs that directly support students.

• The District is carefully reviewing vacancies, staffing, contracts, and operations while remaining committed to transparency throughout the budget process.

Dear Families and Community,

Throughout this year, we have worked to keep our community informed about the District’s financial outlook and the steps we are taking to plan responsibly for the future. Last week, our Board of Education held its second of three budget workshops and continued that discussion. You can watch a video of the meeting here.

As we shared during the workshop, our goal is to reduce next year’s proposed budget by more than $10 million by reviewing District operations, staffing, contracts, and other expenses. While that is a significant reduction, we want to explain what is behind these decisions.

Like many school districts across Illinois and the country, Waukegan Public Schools has experienced declining student enrollment over the past decade. As enrollment changes, the level of staffing and resources needed across the District changes as well. At the same time, federal ESSER funding that supported schools during and after the pandemic has ended, and there is still uncertainty around some state and federal funding.

Over the past several years, the District has also made intentional decisions to support both our community and our employees. For six consecutive years, the Board of Education chose not to increase the property tax levy, which helped ease the burden on local taxpayers. During that same period, the District negotiated competitive agreements with our employee groups, recognizing the importance of attracting and retaining strong teachers and staff. These were important decisions, but they also affect the budget planning we are doing now.

We also want to be clear about what this does not mean. Waukegan Public Schools is not in a financial crisis, and we are not without financial resources. In fact, years of careful financial management have left our District in a stronger position than many school districts across the state. However, spending more each year than we bring in cannot continue long-term. Taking action now can help us avoid harder choices later.

One of the strategies discussed during the budget workshop is making sure staffing and resources match current enrollment, student needs, and available funding. In practice, this means reviewing vacancies before filling them, considering whether current staff can be reassigned where needed, and deciding whether some vacant positions should remain open. As our budget review continues, we will look at other ways to match resources to student needs while also supporting the District’s long-term financial stability. 

Throughout this process, we are focused on protecting classroom instruction, student safety, mandated services, and the programs that directly support student success. We will also continue working to preserve the opportunities families value, including fine arts, athletics, tutoring, and other direct student supports whenever possible.

These are not easy conversations, but they are important. We believe it is our responsibility to make careful decisions now so Waukegan Public Schools remains financially strong in the years ahead. We will continue to share updates as we move toward budget adoption in September.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support.

Theresa Plascencia
Superintendent