Local News

District 233 board reduces levy by $1.3 million

The District 233 school board agreed to reduce the 2020 levy by $1.3 million in keeping with a promise board members made to share the benefits of a state grant.

While taxpayers will only see a small reduction on their property taxes, board members said they felt agreeing to abate the taxes was a fair and proper move. 

The decision was made at a Finance Committee meeting Dec. 7 and forwarded to the full board for action. The board voted unanimously at its Dec. 15 meeting.

Under its current funding formula, Homewood-Flossmoor High School has benefitted from Property Tax Relief Program grants. 

The state gave H-F $1.9 million in Evidence Based Funding with a mandate to abate $1.8 million for two consecutive years, which the board agreed to in 2019 and 2020.

The district got an additional $1.3 million PTRP grant in fall 2019. The school board considered those discretionary funds and chose to reduce the tax levy by that amount.

The district received another $1.3 million PTRP grant in 2020, and on Tuesday the board agreed to give that money back to taxpayers again. 

“I feel like the same logic applies this year as it did last year,” said member Gerald Pauling during the Finance Committee meeting. “This isn’t money that’s going to make or break anybody, but I think that the message is important as well. I think the same logic applies to pass the savings along to the taxpayer, regardless of how small it is. I think it’s the gesture, not the amount.”

Committee member Beth Larocca agreed, noting residents may be hurting financially due to the economic crisis and this abatement may be a help to them.

“I believe we said we’d abate the taxes and I believe we should follow through with that,” she said.

Finance Committee chair Steve Anderson, who also serves as board president, said fortunately the district’s finances are in the black and board policy mandates District 233 maintain strong reserve fund. Abating taxes this $1.3 million amount is not going to hurt the district’s bottom line.

“The gesture is more important today than it was a year ago. Today’s times make it so,” he said.

News by email

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name

Free weekly newsletter

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Most read stories this week