Time to ask D220 a few hard questions
To the editor: Your opinion in Saturday's Soapbox (Aug. 25) regarding CUSD 220 and their "patience" was not at all surprising. I do not believe your newspaper has ever been against any referendum request CUSD 220 has put on the ballot, whether or not it was a necessary referendum.
The school board elects to wait until November 2008 to put a referendum on the ballot. Truth be told they could actually wait for many more years beyond 2008.
The reason being, and what your "opinion" failed to disclose, is Lake County residents in CUSD 220 got a rate hike in 2006 (shown on the 2007 tax bill) of $.14. That is probably the reason the reserve will go from $26 million to $40 million by the end of this school year.
What's so puzzling is why the rate hike? The only referendum request passed over the last several years was in 2007 for a new $4.4 million stadium. Did this warrant a rate hike to Lake County residents? Not only was there a rate hike, but assessed values increased for many Lake County residents, so the school district received a double windfall.
CUSD 220 does not need another rate hike referendum or a building referendum. What they need is account to the taxpayers why they have so much money AND why the rate hike to Lake County residents.
They certainly cannot tell us that they are trying to equalize the rate amongst the four counties. As an example, Kane County CUSD 220 residents show a rate on their 2007 tax bill of $.729 LESS than Lake County CUSD 220 residents.
CUSD 220 needs taxpayer approval to build anything, because they need to maintain anything that they build. I hope that by the time of the next referendum, the taxpayers of CUSD 220 will express their opinion to the school board and start asking questions as to why the stockpile of money.
Taxpayers should not be fooled by the "reserve" nor fooled that students are in serious need of anything. Taxpayers should not be fooled that all counties are equal and should start questioning the Lake County Tax Board and the various township assessors.
Carol Schubert
Barrington