<051130fl>

FOREST LEAVES — Nov. 30, 2005

Dist. 90 board discusses finances, referendum
BY CHRIS LAFORTUNE
STAFF WRITER

Starting Thursday, District 90 will hold a series of committee meetings to discuss finances leading up to a formal decision on a March ballot referendum.

The first of its finance committee meetings will begin at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the district's main office, 7776 Lake St.

Meetings are also scheduled for 7:30 a.m. on both Dec. 8 and 15.

The School Board is holding meetings in the morning because those are the only times all board members are available, School Board President David Gregg said Monday.

"These are working meetings," Gregg said. "We're going over budgets and projections and population sizes and the rest to get a grip on our financial position, to help us make that decision by December."

Gregg expects the board will make a decision on a referendum at its Dec. 19 meeting, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Ave.

Gregg previously suggested the board could make a formal decision on a referendum at the School Board meeting held Tuesday. The agenda for the Tuesday meeting contained no reference to the referendum, but the board was scheduled to discuss its tentative 2005 levy.

The tentative levy will include an increase to account for a referendum for now, Gregg said. If the board decides by December it does not want to pursue a referendum, the increase can be taken out in the final levy.

"It won't be a formal decision by the board to actually pursue a referendum, but it will allow us to, if we so desire," Gregg said of the tentative levy.

Gregg said he expected no recommendation to come out of the finance committee meetings. They are meant more for board preparation in case the district needs to cut expenses.

A committee consisting of River Forest residents and local administrators has recommended the district pursue a 32.5 cent increase in its education fund tax rate and not cut its budget.

"But the reality is, the referendum is an open question," Gregg said. "So if it does not pass, we will need to react to that."