Endorsement: Big Hollow District 38 referendum

0>Big Hollow Elementary District 38 officials warned of deep and sweeping cuts if voters rejected a tax rate increase in April 2007.They weren't exaggerating. A defeat at the polls resulted in the elimination of all art and music lessons. Computer class was canceled for kindergartners and students in sixth through eighth grades. A hiring freeze is in place. The school day has been trimmed by 45 minutes. There is no money for library books, gym equipment or assemblies. There is no cash for capital improvements, and all extracurricular activities have become "pay-to-play."Officials said those cuts saved nearly $1 million but the district is still cash-strapped and will borrow $3 million to make ends meet this year.For the fifth time in the last five years, district officials are asking voters to approve a tax increase to fund its operations. They've been rejected the last four times.This ballot proposition asks voters for permission to fund a $10 million working-cash bond. It would cost about $32 per month in increased property taxes for the owner of a $280,000 home. The district serves portions of Ingleside, Fox Lake, Lakemoor, Volo and Round Lake.The Daily Herald recommends a "yes" vote on the referendum question.When asked how it's gotten to this point, administrators say explosive growth tops the list of causes. Enrollment has more than tripled in the past 10 years, growing from 400 to nearly 1,500 children. District 38 has the highest average class size -- 28.2 -- in all of Lake County and spends the least on instruction per pupil at $3,654. A money-draining combination, officials say.One bright spot among the gloomy news is the possible sale of district-owned property at the corner of routes 12 and 134 in Fox Lake. When and if the land is sold, it could net around $5 million. But it may be a year or longer before that money is in hand.A few critics claim the district has a spending problem and misuses its resources. We don't see evidence of either. Instead, we see a district trying its best to cope with a bulging student population, costly state-mandated programs and voters not willing to accept a property tax increase. Teacher and administrative salaries are not out of line with county averages, either.Canceling computer classes at a time when digital and Internet technology is revolutionizing our society is unthinkable. A hiring freeze for teachers can only mean that already big classes will grow even larger. Officials have hinted at more budget cuts if the referendum effort fails, but won't be specific yet.The situation in Big Hollow, though not a deep enough crisis for a state takeover, will only get worse with time. Weak school districts have a negative effect on property values, and the real estate market is already faltering in a sluggish economy.If the referendum effort is successful, the money will be used to reinstate programs that have been cut and lift the hiring freeze, administrators say.For what amounts to less than the cost of a cup of coffee and a doughnut each day for the owner of a quarter-million-dollar home, it doesn't seem like an unreasonable request.