Dist. 203 to levy for 83 percent of its revenue

Naperville Unit District 203 will be collecting 83 percent of its total revenue for next year through a $221,102,000 property tax levy approved Monday night.

The school board unanimously approved the levy, which increases a total of 2.7 percent from the $215,282,213 collected last year.

Brad Cauffman, the district’s chief financial officer, said 1.7 percent of that increase will be paid by property owners already in the district, while the remaining 1 percent will come from taxing an estimated $40 million worth of new development expected to join the tax rolls.

The owner of a $350,000 home can expect the 1.7 percent tax increase to amount to an extra $105 on the school district’s portion of their property tax bill, Cauffman said.

The state tax cap limits the amount the district can raise taxes each year to the rate of inflation as defined by the consumer price index, which this year was 1.7 percent.

Board members approved the levy unanimously after hearing a report on recommendations from the nine-month community engagement process called Future Focus, which addressed district finances as well as facilities, programs of study, student success and community engagement.

Finance-related suggestions featured among the 27 Future Focus recommendations include publishing a five-year financial forecast on an annual basis and continuing to operate with fiscal responsibility.

“The Future Focus engagement process revealed the community’s confidence in the board’s stewardship of district finances,” Superintendent Dan Bridges said in a written statement. “The levy ... supports District 203’s high-quality educational programs while remaining consistent with that history of fiscal responsibility.”