Pekin District 108 looks to spend slightly less than budgeted for this school year, district officials said.

School board members recently received the district's yearly budget update and learned expenditures are expected to be 98.5 percent of the $31.7 million originally budgeted, Director of Finance and Operations Guy Cahill said.

A budget deficit of $239,000 had been budgeted, but that could change because of decreased spending, Cahill said.

State and federal revenues are flowing in at a slower pace than last year, but that isn't impacting the overall budget, Cahill said.

Future concerns

Looking ahead to next year, district officials are concerned at some anticipated revenue losses, particularly from a reduction from $4.5 million to $1 million in the assessed value of Midwest Grain, which is having its property reassessed.

"We won't know what the assessed value of the district is for another two weeks," Superintendent Perry Soldwedel said. "Once we have that figure we will know how it (the Midwest Grain reduction) will affect us."

Soldwedel said it is possible that new construction and higher property values could make up for the loss.

Another $60,000 that was initially figured into next year's budget won't be there. That's because Spring Lake seventh- and eighth-grade students, who used to attend District 108, are now going to South Pekin District 137. The Spring Lake district was reimbursing District 108 to have those students attend there.

Projected budget figures

Next year's expenditures are expected to be slightly less than this year's $31.56 million. The district expects to spend about $31.39 million.

General state aid will generate more funding with an increase of $40 per student. That will bring an additional $139,581 to the district.

The deficit next year is expected to be $167,000.

Staff reductions

The board also learned that all teachers from this year will be retained for next year, but support staff and other areas will be reduced.

Each year the district is required by state law to give employees 60 days notice if they won't be retained for the following fiscal year.

The district could recall some of these people in the fall once true enrollment numbers are known. The district will need two fewer first-grade classes and two more second-grade classes based on projected enrollment, Soldwedel said.

For the Pekin Preschool Family Education Center, the district voted not to retain one secretary, one full-time infant/toddler specialist, one educational assistant, one part-time educational assistant and one part-time office clerk.

Support staff to be reduced include 10 program assistants for a federal at-risk program, 16 special education assistants and four health clerks.