District 45 hosts town hall meetings on upcoming ballot question

Villa Park-based District 45 will host a series of town hall meetings before voters consider a Nov. 3 ballot question seeking an operating tax rate increase.

The district is asking for a tax rate increase that would generate roughly $4.4 million a year to help cover annual operating expenses. If voters approve the request, the owner of a $350,000 house would pay an additional $299 a year in property taxes to the district.

In March, voters rejected a similar measure, resulting in a series of cuts to close a $3.5 million budget gap.

School officials have said approving the increase would restore recent programming cuts, including student reading support, advanced academics, school clubs and activities, fine arts and musicals.

In addition, the increased funding would allow the district, which serves roughly 3,100 students, to maintain reasonable class sizes and cover rising costs for transportation, staffing, insurance and educational materials.

District officials have been relying on reserve funds to help cover some funding gaps. But they have noted that practice is not sustainable for the long term.

Superintendent Brian Graber will host each of the upcoming town hall meetings, starting with a 6:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Schafer Elementary School, 700 E. Pleasant Lane in Lombard.

The other town hall meetings include:

• Aug. 22 at 10 a.m. at Jackson Middle School, 301 W. Jackson St., Villa Park;

• Aug. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at Ardmore Elementary School, 225 S. Harvard Ave., Villa Park;

• Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at York Center Elementary School, 895 14th St., Lombard;

• Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at North Elementary School, 150 W. Sunset Ave., Villa Park;

• Sept. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the District 45 Early Childhood Center, 251 W. Jackson St., Villa Park;

• Sept. 12 at 10 a.m. at Jefferson Middle School, 255 W. Vermont St., Villa Park;

• Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at Stevenson Elementary School, 18W331 15th St., Lombard.

A virtual town hall meeting also will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.

The presentations at each meeting will cover the same information.

Additional information about the referendum and virtual meeting access is available at d45.org/referendum.