advertisement

Roselle District 12 seeking property tax increase

Roselle Elementary District 12 will ask voters in the March 15 primary election to approve a property tax increase that would cost the owner of a $250,000 home about $500 more a year.

The increase would generate almost $1.5 million annually, allowing the district to avoid deeper cuts to student programs, Superintendent Melissa Kaczkowski said.

"What we're looking to do is really solve the district's financial picture permanently," she said.

Kaczkowski said the extra revenue would help turn around the district's finances after a series of budget deficits. The district also is facing funding decisions about critical repairs to two aging schools, she said.

The district initially forecast roughly an $844,000 budget shortfall for the 2016-17 school year. Regardless of whether voters reject or support the tax increase, the district plans to make the following cuts, expected to save about $400,000:

• Eliminate full-day kindergarten and offer only a half-day program in the 2016-17 school year.

• Leave unfilled two kindergarten teaching positions left open by retirements.

• Eliminate a media center director post that also will be left open by a retirement, so one remaining director will serve both Spring Hills Elementary and Roselle Middle schools

If the referendum proposal fails, the district would roll out a second round of budget cuts, and co-curriculuar and other non-mandated programs such as band, student newspaper and drama club likely would face the chopping block, Kaczkowski said.

The cuts would, in the short term, help plug the budget gap. But Kaczkowski said the district and its architects have uncovered an estimated $5 million in priority construction projects that should be completed in its three buildings.

The study, conducted last year, recommended a total of roughly $12 million in work to be phased in.

"There are no cuts that we could make that will take care of our facility needs," Kaczkowski said.

The analysis called for, among other things, masonry, boiler, roofing and heating and air system work - "no cosmetics, no frills," Kaczkowski said.

"With great maintenance we've kept things up and running, but there's only so long you can continue to Band-Aid things for," Kaczkowski said. "We have to start preparing ourselves and positioning ourselves to do the structural work that's needed."

The school board will decide Tuesday whether to apply for qualified school construction bonds. The Illinois State Board of Education has set a Jan. 15 application deadline for districts seeking to borrow money at low interest rates under a program set up by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009.

If the board gives the go-ahead, the district would apply to issue about $7 million in bonds.

The ISBE awards up to $50 million in bonding authority per applicant, prioritizing school districts that are "shovel ready." If demand exceeds how much the state can allocate, the ISBE will rank districts based on factors that include the number of students from low-income families.

The tax increase would allow the district only to tackle the list of projects in schools at a "much slower pace," Kaczkowski said.

"It's really to take a long-term view so that we can continue to move forward with programs and services and not have to make our scenario B of reductions," Kaczkowski said.

Another study done years ago considered merging with another school district, but Kaczkowski deemed such a move unrealistic.

"Consolidation gets thrown around tremendously," Kaczkowski said. "People see that as a very quick and viable solution. But really when you look at the legalities of how consolidation works, we would have to have a willing partner, and we don't have one at this point."

The district's last operating tax rate increase was approved more than 30 years ago. The district's enrollment, meanwhile, has historically held steady, currently totaling about 725 students.

"This isn't a new issue for the district," Kaczkowski said.

If you go

Roselle Elementary District 12 will hold another meeting on its facility needs and push for a property tax increase. A session in October drew almost 300 people.

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19

Where: Roselle Middle School, 500 S. Park

Info: www.sd12.k12.il.us

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.