How D-205 Spending Has Grown Over A Decade

Elmhurst IL

14 January, 2021

1:33 PM

Description

ELMHURST, IL — At first glance, Elmhurst School District 205's total spending seems to have spiked way beyond the growth in students. But other factors must be considered. The numbers are included in the district's annual audit report, comparing the 2010-2011 to 2019-2020 school years. A decade ago, the district's annual operating expenditures stood at $96.3 million, a number that increased to $122.2 million by 2020, a 27 percent jump. During that time, student enrollment rose 4.5 percent. When one takes into account inflation and enrollment growth, the increased spending is not as shocking as it first seems. If the district's expenditures grew with inflation and enrollment, its operating expenditures would amount to $118.1 million today, $4 million less than the actual number. In other words, District 205's expenditures were 3.4 percent higher last year than they were a decade earlier when inflation and enrollment growth are taken into account.