by Sarah DeMaranville
Every school day, Geneseo CUSD #228 buses travel hundreds of miles transporting students to and from school, athletic events and extracurricular activities. While the State of Illinois helps pay for those services, district financial records show that state funding covers only about half of the district's transportation costs—leaving local taxpayers to make up the difference.
A review of Geneseo's recent Annual Financial Reports and budget documents shows that transportation expenses have continued to rise in recent years, while the state's contribution has remained relatively flat as a share of total costs.
State aid covers about half of transportation expenses
According to the district's FY2025 Annual Financial Report, Geneseo received approximately $1.37 million in state transportation aid while spending nearly $2.64 million operating its Transportation Fund.
That means state transportation aid covered approximately 51.7% of transportation expenditures.
The previous year tells a similar story.
In FY2023, the district received about $1.21 million in transportation aid while spending $2.34 million, with state funding covering approximately 51.9% of transportation costs.
While state funding increased in dollar amounts between FY2023 and FY2025, transportation expenses increased at nearly the same pace. As a result, the state's share of overall transportation costs remained essentially unchanged.
Costs continue to rise
Transportation has become one of the district's steadily growing operational expenses.
Between FY2023 and FY2025:
Transportation expenditures increased from $2.34 million to $2.64 million, an increase of approximately 13.2%.
State transportation aid increased from $1.21 million to $1.37 million, an increase of approximately 12.7%.
The district has also approved higher transportation contract costs for the current school year, citing increases in route costs, mileage and extracurricular transportation.
For FY2026, the district projects approximately $2.8 million in transportation expenditures.
Transportation fund projected to operate at a deficit
Budget projections show the Transportation Fund is expected to continue facing financial pressure.
For FY2026, the district projects:
Transportation Fund revenue: approximately $2.36 million
Transportation expenditures: approximately $2.80 million
That leaves a projected operating deficit of approximately $437,000.
Even when accounting for all Transportation Fund revenue—including state aid, local property taxes and other revenue—the district expects expenditures to exceed available revenue.
The Transportation Fund also operated at deficits in previous years, including approximately $255,000 in FY2023 and $243,000 in FY2025.
A long-standing concern
District officials have warned about transportation funding for years.
In its FY2017 budget document, Geneseo noted that Illinois was reimbursing districts for only about 71 to 72 percent of their calculated transportation entitlement, estimating that the district was losing roughly $300,000 annually because state appropriations did not fully fund the statutory formula.
The district cautioned at the time that Transportation Fund balances were expected to continue declining because of the reduced reimbursement.
Although today's funding calculations differ from that earlier entitlement measure, the district's financial records continue to show that transportation remains a significant local budget challenge.
Why it matters
Unlike many other budget areas, student transportation is largely unavoidable.
School buses must continue operating regardless of fluctuations in diesel fuel prices, labor costs, vehicle maintenance expenses or bus replacement costs.
When transportation costs rise faster than available revenue, districts must rely more heavily on local resources or existing fund balances to continue providing the same level of service.
For Geneseo taxpayers, the district's financial reports illustrate an ongoing reality: while the State of Illinois remains an important funding partner, local revenue continues to play a substantial role in ensuring students can safely travel to and from school each day.
Sources
Geneseo CUSD #228 FY2025 Annual Financial Report
Geneseo CUSD #228 FY2023 Annual Financial Report — Full Version
Geneseo CUSD #228 FY2026 Budget Cash Summary
Geneseo CUSD #228 2024 Tax Levy and Financial Projections Presentation
Geneseo CUSD #228 FY2017 Budget Document
Pinks’ Bus Service Transportation Contract Proposal for the 2026–27 School Year
Geneseo CUSD #228 May 2026 Board Materials