CCSD21 applies for fiscal 2024 property tax relief grant

Community Consolidated School District 21 (CCSD21) officially applied for the fiscal 2024 property tax relief grant, after receiving official board approval on the measure during its December 2023 meeting.

The program gives school districts the chance to lower the property tax burden on local taxpayers with the state of Illinois replacing a portion of abated tax revenue with state funds.

There is approximately $49.34 million available to Illinois school districts for this fiscal year. If awarded the grant, CCSD21 would receive approximately $4.71 million of those funds. However, the district is not guaranteed to receive that figure, as the appropriated grant money is awarded and distributed to districts in the order of eligibility.

Should the grant be received, the 2023 property tax abatement would be $6.5 million. The estimated savings per $100,000 of assessed value would be $275.

“This year marks the first time CCSD21 has ever hit the Top 50 on the list of eligible school districts to receive the grant,” said Micheal DeBartolo, assistant superintendent of finance and operations. “If we have the chance to ease the tax burden on our local property tax payers and get those dollars from the state, we will attempt to do so until we are successful.”

Grant applications were due by Jan. 8, and the Illinois State Board of Education would notify eligible grant recipients by the end of February. If the district receives any funds, it would then be responsible for providing a board resolution approving the abatement of such funds to the ISBE by mid-April 2024.

Local taxpayers would likely not see a change until the second installment of their 2023 tax levy, which is typically paid in the fall.