Lake County voters to decide on sales tax to pay for school improvements

Lake County voters will be asked on the Nov. 3 ballot whether a 1% sales tax should be imposed to pay for improvements of school facilities, retire building bonds, and to hire school resource officers and mental health professionals.

State lawmakers in 2007 created the County School Facilities Sales Tax as an alternative to local property taxes. The law authorizes school districts representing a majority of students in any county, other than Cook, to impose a countywide sales tax of up to 1% after a successful referendum.

To get to this point, 23 school districts representing 60% of Lake County's student population of 114,185 approved resolutions asking for the question on the November ballot.

Among them were Mundelein High School District 120, Waukegan Community Unit District 60, Wauconda Unit District 118, Lake Zurich Community Unit District 95 and Barrington Area Unit District 220.

Fifty-seven of Illinois’ 102 counties have approved similar measures, but none of the collar counties have attempted it, said Michael Karner, Lake County regional superintendent of schools.

School building improvements have been funded primarily through local property taxes. Because of its location, visitors from neighboring counties and Wisconsin visit Lake County for entertainment, travel and dining, which spreads the cost more broadly, according to the regional schools website.

An estimated 53% of purchases are made by non-residents, according to information on the Mundelein High School District 120 website. Revenues would be distributed to public school districts based on enrollment.

If approved, sales tax proceeds can be used to fund projects including safety and security upgrades, roof repairs, energy efficiency improvements, additions, renovations, new facilities, land acquisition and demolition, as well as to pay off bonds and reduce property taxes.

The money can't be used for buses, textbooks, computers, furniture or salaries, except those of school resource officers and mental health professionals.

Prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, groceries, licensed vehicles, including cars, trucks, RVs, boats, farm equipment and services such as accounting would be exempt from the sales tax.

If the measure passes, the tax would go into effect July 1, 2027, and schools would begin receiving revenue in the fall of 2027.

mzawislak@dailyherald.com