Look at these statistics that Huntley School District 158 web site (click to enlarge):

So, the Huntley school district had about 25% of their annual budget in the bank at the end of its fiscal year. (The higher figure includes earmarked school bus purchase money.)

The Johnsburg Unit School District was about the same as Huntley’s unit district.

Some other schools are much worse off.

Nippersink up the Richmond-Spring Grove area had a negative balance of 5%.

Cary had a 2% “surplus.”

Marengo’s Grade School district was at 13%.

Some districts have balances that are obscene.

Almost two year’s spending in the bank—Marengo High School District 156.

How do they get away with that?

Richmond-Burton High School District 157—almost a full year’s budget in the bank.

Crystal Lake High School District 155—over three-quarters of a year’s spending.

McHenry High School District 156—almost three-quarters of a year’s budget.

Sounds like too much to me.

The following school districts had reserves above 60% of what they spend:

• Crystal Lake Grade School District 47 (62%)
• Fox River Grove Grade School District 3 (61%)
• Wonder Lake’s Harrison Grade School District 36 (69%)
• Woodstock School District 200 (69%)

Prairie Grove Grade School District 46 has 55%.

At 50% was McHenry Grade School District 15.

Harvard’s Unit School District 50 had 45%.

Noting that high schools tend to have the highest fund balances, I would observe that the State Aid to Education formula was written by high school teacher and State Representative Gene Hoffman.