The state’s multi-year cycle of late payments to school districts is improving, but Springfield District 186 isn’t out of the woods yet, school officials say.
Business manager Joe Bascio, in his financial report to the school board, said a $1 million payment for early childhood education arrived Monday, but the district still is owed $7 million in categorical payments.
In addition to general state aid, school districts are supposed to receive four categorical payments throughout the year to cover costs for transportation and special education.
For Springfield, categorical payments total about $12 million per year.
Superintendent Jennifer Gill said Monday District 186 is still owed last year’s fourth payment and the first for the current school year.
That’s actually an improvement from where the district was at this time last year, she noted.
“Last year, we were two behind (from the previous year),” Gill said. “This is nothing we are not used to.”
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