District 23 board votes again to go to referendum

Prospect Heights Elementary District 23 will again seek voter approval for a tax rate increase in November.

The school board voted unanimously last week to place a referendum question on the Nov. 3 ballot.

It will be the fourth try this decade for the district. The measure calls for a proposed $0.35 increase in the tax rate, which would amount to $28 more per month, or $336 more annually, for the owner of a home with a market value of $350,000.

“Our priority is to safeguard the high-quality educational experience our students rely on while being transparent with our community about our financial reality,” school board President Becky McClaney said of the decision. “This vote represents a balanced approach to stabilizing our budget so we can continue serving our students effectively.”

District 23 leaders said they are staring at a long-term structural deficit, driven by operational and educational costs rising faster than revenues.

The board has outlined a multipronged approach that combines targeted revenue increases, reductions in administrative and program costs, and adjustments to financial assumptions, officials said.

The proposed tax rate increase would generate up to $4 million annually in new funding. The money would support essential instructional programs, help retain qualified staff, preserve key student support services and help the district save for long-range facility needs, officials said.

District 23’s four schools serve roughly 1,480 prekindergarten through eighth grade students in Prospect Heights, Arlington Heights and Wheeling.

szalusky@dailyherald.com