By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – Unit 5 got some good financial news from the State of Illinois this week.

The district has received its 3rd quarter categorical payment, worth a total of $2.5 million. Finance director Marty Hickman said the district wasn’t sure if it would get this payment or not.

“It helps us maintain a balanced budget for this fiscal year,” said Hickman. “If revenues come in from the state as they were promised, as they were supposed to, then we are on track for a balanced budget in the education fund. If the fourth payment doesn’t come in, now, we likely will show a loss in the budget because of that loss of revenue.”

Hickman said it’s still anyone’s guess whether that fourth payment will be made. In the meantime, he’s pleased to see the third payment.

“This is great news. It’s 50 percent of the way there from not expecting the third or fourth, to now we’ve got the third and there’s at least some hope for the fourth,” said Hickman. “I would love to see that fourth payment come in so that all the hard work, all the budget cuts that we had to do this year to balance our budget, we’ll be able to actually show that hard work in the end if the state payments come in.”

Unit 5 likely won’t know if it’s getting the fourth payment until the last minute.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].