Operational Efficiency

Some of the ways the District has kept its spending low is through systematic investment in innovative operations, maintaining in-house services that many districts outsource at higher cost, and adopting cost-containment approaches monitored by our Fiscal Services Department.

Among innovations that have helped keep the District’s operational costs low is investment in energy efficiency projects, such as retrofits of existing buildings and energy-conscious design of new construction combined with solar arrays. Huntley 158’s green initiatives have resulted in significant savings for the district, approximating $1.6 million in annual savings compared to energy expenditures from 15 years ago. 

The District also has long maintained in-house operational departments such as transportation and food services that other district often outsource at higher costs. While managing these services in-house requires a high level of administrative organizational leadership, the District believes by doing so it is able to deliver a higher level of service along with lower costs than outsourced alternatives.

The Huntley 158 Board of Education has repeatedly authorized cost-saving measures in refunding and refinancing the District’s long-term debts. These moves have been made to take advantage of favorable conditions in the bond market in the past several years, amounting to millions of dollars of debt service savings to taxpayers.