Grayslake schools may ask voters to approve tax

A growing number of Lake County school districts support the idea of letting voters decide whether a sales tax increase should be a source of money to pay for construction-related expenses.

Grayslake Elementary District 46 board members were the latest to discuss the proposal Monday night, giving it mixed reviews. The board will vote by month's end on whether to adopt a resolution in favor of a November ballot measure that would ask if Lake County's sales tax should rise by 1 percentage point.

Under a new state law, school boards representing at least 51 percent of the student population of a county are allowed to adopt resolutions to place the sales tax question on the ballot. Local county boards can put the tax hike to a vote on their own or at the request of school districts.

With 140,732 students in Lake County schools, that means districts representing 71,773 of them would have to approve of going to the voters with the tax increase proposal.

At least eight school districts with a combined 37,202 students have passed resolutions in support of the referendum question. The sales tax question would reach the November ballot if districts representing another 34,571 pupils pass resolutions in support.

District 46 Superintendent Ellen Correll said at Monday night's meeting she thinks voters should be allowed to decide the sales tax proposal. She stressed board members wouldn't be backing a tax hike.

However, board member Jill Rohrer said she doesn't want to be associated with a possible tax increase.

"It was very clear I was elected because people didn't want their taxes to go up," Rohrer said.

Board member Mark Hannan took an opposite position. He added out-of-town shoppers would pay toward the county's base sales tax of 6.5 percent.

Lake County school districts are projected to receive $550 per pupil annually if the 1-point increase were to gain voter approval. The money could be used to help pay for school renovations, architects, new buildings, land acquisition and other construction-related expenses.

In addition, the cash could be applied toward paying off debt from previous building projects.

Following are the schools districts that want voters to decide on a 1 percentage point sales tax boost: Woodland Elementary, Zion Benton High, Waukegan Unit, Big Hollow Elementary, Grant High, Lake Villa Elementary, Millburn Elementary and Mundelein High.