Huge tax bill reason for Illinois flight

Recently I contacted Mark Altmayer, Chief Financial Officer of the Huntley Community School District 158 regarding the increases in real estate taxes especially for senior citizens.

The first contact was by email and then by phone call. I told him about my concerns that the school expenses seemed too high, but he assured me that the district was keeping increases to a minimum. He compared District 158 to surrounding districts saying we were lower than most.

Since we last spoke, the district granted a 4 percent pay increase to many employees. In addition, I read in the Daily Herald Aug. 14, 2016, that Superintendent John Burkey spent a week in Helsinki, Finland "studying their education system." Previously he had done the same in Japan and China. I assumed District 158 paid those traveling expenses. With today's fantastic technology couldn't the learning take place in a carefully designed long-distance component?

I don't think three trips overseas show that the district is trying to keep the burden on taxpayers to a minimum. District 158 administrators and instructors need to be more creative in trying to reduce our real estate taxes. Is there any program in place that addresses the need to implement austerity measures?

I feel these huge taxes are the main reason why so many residents and businesses are leaving Illinois.

Robert Napora

Huntley