301 Budget Blueprint: Part 2

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📊 A Look at Our Revenue Sources

In this edition of 301 Budget Blueprint, we’re diving into a fundamental question:

Where does Central 301 get its money?

In our first post, we looked at the Education Fund — the heart of school operations. Now we step back to explore the revenue sources that make everything in our district possible.

Central 301 receives funding from three (3) main sources:

🔷 Local Revenues (approx. 77%)

  • Property Taxes – By far the largest single source of revenue, these are collected locally based on assessed home and business values. They’re used to fund staff, programs, operations, and facilities.
  • Registration & Technology Fees – Paid by families to support learning tools, devices, and access.
  • Lunch & Athletic Fees – Help offset the cost of food service and extracurricular programs.
  • Impact Fees – One-time payments made by developers when building new homes; intended to help school districts keep up with enrollment growth.
  • Interest Income – Earnings from short-term investments and district-held accounts.

🟦 State Revenues (approx. 16%)

  • Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) – Illinois’ current method for distributing school funds based on need, enrollment, and adequacy targets.
  • Grants – For areas like transportation, driver’s ed, career & tech education, and special education programs.

🟥 Federal Revenues (approx. 2%)

  • Title I, II, III, IV Grants – Targeted programs to support students in reading, language, and professional development.
  • IDEA Grants – Support for special education programs and staff.
  • National School Lunch Program & Medicaid Reimbursement

🧭 Why This Matters

When we talk about funding challenges or budget planning, it’s important to understand how dependent we are on local taxpayers — especially property taxes. While federal and state support helps, nearly 8 out of every 10 dollars in our operating budget starts right here in our community.

Knowing this helps us make more informed decisions — together — about how we sustain and grow the quality education Central 301 is known for.

➡️ Keep checking back for each new installment of 301 Budget Blueprint, or follow us on social media:

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