SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF DWIGHT TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #230

Held in the Dwight Township High School Board Room

On December 17, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.

Board President Joel Sandeno called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.

PRESENT: Chris Bunting; Erin Connor; Kim Frauli; Joel Sandeno; Jake Tjelle

ABSENT: Eric Scheuer; Max Sulzberger

Also in attendance: Josh DeLong, Superintendent; Deb Conroy, Secretary; Andy Pittenger, Principal

Mr. DeLong reviewed the Board’s discussion from November on the proposed tax levy rate and extension for 2025. He noted that we have an aging building and infrastructure, as we have seen over the past several months. He stated that we have proposed an increase of 10.88%, which means that we are asking for 10.88% higher than what we received last year, not necessarily an increase to taxpayers of 10.88%.

He informed the public that with what we are proposing we are still leaving $1.6 million dollars on the table. If we had gone with the 4.99% increase, we would have left nearly 2 million dollars on the table, and it would have dropped the levy 14 cents, which would be very difficult to recoup in the future if needed. He made note that the high school has dropped their tax rate 79 cents in the last 10 years. The HS tax rate combined with the GS tax rate last year was 11th out of 20 surrounding consolidated or unit school districts in terms of overall tax rates. Mr. DeLong also noted that we have a higher than average Per Capita Tuition Charge; however, as districts, the HS and GS share a lot of staff, which saves money, but the HS takes on the employment of all of those employees. The calculation by the state to figure our PCTC does not take into account the cost that the GS pays to the HS for this service. We also continue to offer several programs that a lot of smaller schools are doing away with, including Industrial Arts, Ag and Driver’s Ed that we offer to our students, as well as paying the majority of the cost to send our Juniors and Seniors to LACC. We also offer a full array of extra-curricular programs to our students and we have had several large capital projects that go into this calculation. There was no attendance by the public.