D62 OKs 6.6 percent increase in tax levy

The Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 school board last week adopted a 2012 levy request of approximately $64.4 million, an increase of $4.1 million or 6.6 percent from the 2011 levy. About $2.3 million of the projected increase comes from new property, while $1.8 million comes from the Consumer Price Index increase that is authorized by state law, which this year is 3.0 percent. Assistant Superintendent Nelson Gray looked at the last five years. He said while the district benefits from having a large Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) to tax, in recent years more of the burden has shifted to residential properties from commercial/industrial properties, with the share born by residential properties rising between 2009 and 2012 from 50 percent to 54 percent. The district’s EAV will benefit in 2012 from the addition of the Rivers Casino. Gray said the district will need to closely manage its resources to ensure that spending stays in line with the projected revenue increases.