New Lenox District 122 Kicks Off 2026-2027 Budget Cycle, Approves Minor Registration Fee Increase

New Lenox School District 122 Meeting | January 20, 2026

Article Summary: The New Lenox School District 122 Board of Education officially initiated its 2026-2027 financial planning cycle, unanimously authorizing tentative budget preparations, a modest $5 student registration fee increase, and legal representation to protect local property tax revenues.

Financial Planning Key Points:

• Most student registration fees will increase by $5 for the 2026-2027 school year, bringing K-8 fees to $260.

• The Board authorized Chief School Business Official Robert Groos to prepare the 2026-2027 tentative budget, which is slated for a formal presentation in June 2026.

• The law firm Franczek P.C. was retained to intervene in commercial property tax appeals seeking assessed valuation reductions exceeding $100,000.

• The District reported an overall ending financial balance of $57,718,613.94 across all funds for December 2025.

The New Lenox School District 122 Board of Education on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, unanimously approved a slate of financial measures that lay the groundwork for the 2026-2027 academic year, including a slight increase to standard registration fees.

Passed 6-0 as part of the board’s consent agenda, the new fee structure implements a $5 increase—approximately 2%—for most students. For the 2026-2027 school year, fees for Kindergarten through 8th Grade, the Early Childhood Special Education (SPED) program, and the Phonological Program will rise from $255 to $260. Other ancillary costs, such as the $35 Athletic Activity Fee, the $70 Band/Orchestra Fee, and the $350 paid transportation fee, will remain flat.

The fee adjustment aligns with consensus reached during a January 7, 2025, Strategic Planning Meeting.

Looking ahead to the district’s broader financial operations, the Board officially designated Superintendent Dr. Lori R. Motsch and Chief School Business Official (CSBO) Robert Groos to prepare the 2026-2027 budget in tentative form. According to Groos’s memorandum to the Board, the tentative budget will be presented at the June 2026 meeting, following a review of the updated five-year financial forecast during a special board session in January or February.

The Board also took proactive steps to safeguard the district’s property tax revenue base by approving a resolution authorizing intervention in proceedings before the State Property Tax Appeal Board (PTAB) for the 2025 tax year.

The resolution specifically targets commercial property owners seeking to lower their assessed valuations by more than $100,000. The Board authorized the law firm Franczek P.C., led by attorney Ares G. Dalianis, to file requests to intervene and represent the district’s interests. According to the agenda packet, Dalianis currently represents several neighboring districts—including Frankfort 157C, Summit Hill 161, Mokena 159, and Lincoln-Way 210—in similar PTAB appeals.

The approvals arrive as the district maintains a strong financial posture. The 2025-2026 Legal Budget Dashboard provided in the agenda packet projects a budget surplus of $4,412,393 for the current fiscal year, with $74,107,484 in total operating revenues against $69,695,091 in expenditures. The monthly Treasurer’s Report, also approved Tuesday, showed a total balance of all funds sitting at $57,718,613.94 as of December 31, 2025.

Board members Stephanie Peltzer, Nicole DeGrave, Al Haring, Bill Pender, Fay Bowie, and Megan Wendtland all voted in favor of the consent agenda. Board member David Rush was absent.