District 57 officials outline case for tax increase

Mount Prospect School District 57 officials faced some hard questions from residents who attended the first of three community forums Thursday to hear the district's case for a March referendum.

The referendum, which the school board is expected to consider in December, would ask voters to approve its first tax increase in 29 years, with the exception of building bonds.

If put on the ballot and then approved by voters, taxpayers would be charged an extra 90 cents on the tax rate, which would generate an estimated $6.3 million annually in new money. The cost to the taxpayer is estimated at $144 for a home with an actual value of $100,000 and $432 for a home valued at $300,000

The money would enable the district to balance its budget, maintain current staffing levels and class sizes at all four schools, and reinstate staffing and programs that were cut in 2011, including kindergarten fine arts programs and fourth-grade orchestra. The money would also be used to address critical maintenance issues, such as cracking foundations, rusting doors, porous piping and a deteriorating sprinkler system.

Superintendent Elaine Aumiller and Adam Parisi, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, painted a dire financial picture for the crowd of between 20 and 30 in attendance at Fairview School.

Aumiller said such factors as rising operating costs, growing enrollment and state and federal cuts have put the district in financial peril, causing it to eat into reserves.

"We have been steadily drawing on the fund balances. We're not running a balanced budget. We haven't done it for years," she said.

Perisi said the projected deficit for the 2018 fiscal year amounts to nearly $2 million. The district's fund balance is in danger of becoming depleted within four years.

"The district cannot operate with a negative fund balance. So in a very short amount of time, something's going to need to be done," Parisi said.

Officials said the district currently has the lowest tax rate among its neighboring communities, as well as the highest pupil-to-teacher ratio. Those class sizes could grow without more money.

"When you're talking about 40 students in a classroom, that's a lot of kids," Aumiller said. "And when you're talking about K through 5 and (a class size of 27-31), try to imagine 30 6-year-olds in a classroom."

Resident Mark Hahn said, "You do a lot with a little in terms of resources."

Others, however, raised concerns and doubts.

"My suggestion really is that you tighten your belts and figure out another way to do this," said Susann DuBoff, pointing to the state's population loss in recent years.

Ryan Drenan said he wants to maintain good schools, but he is not in favor of reinstating positions that have been cut, such as fourth-grade orchestra.

And Amanda Marchialette said, "You haven't run a balanced budget for many years. You want to dip back into the taxpayers' pocket. What tells me you are going to have a balanced budget?"

Parisi said that the district used the fund balance as opposed to cutting staff or programs.

District 57 is sending a survey to voters who reside within its boundaries so they can provide feedback about how to address the district's instructional, facility maintenance and transportation needs. And two more forums are scheduled, from 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, and 7-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 18, both at Fairview, 300 N. Fairview Ave., Mount Prospect.