D. 31 Tax Hike Defeat Incites Parents To Raise $100,000

After a referendum to raise property taxes failed in April, parents in  took matters into their own hands this summer.

The district had hoped to raise taxes to offset  that covered the past four years of taxes from , which provides 22 percent of the district’s tax base. When the referendum , district administrators .

That’s when parents districtwide, including members of the Education Foundation and Parent Teacher Club, joined forces to make sure their children weren’t affected greatly.

"It was really a matter of the parents stepping up to provide education for our kids," said Nancy McRae, chairwoman of the District 31's education foundation. "We did what we could."

A donation drive sponsored by the Education Foundation and Parent Teacher Club surpassed its $100,000 goal. The effort raised $60,000 in donations and $50,000 in matching funding from the Education Foundation by the end of July.

"It certainly doesn't address the whole budget, but helps with the technological and extracurricular budget," McRae said.

More than $70,000 of the donations will go to technology upgrades throughout the district.

will have its main technology lab upgraded with new computers and the secondary lab equipped with new computer tables and electrical and wiring improvements.

will get new computers in its lab as well as an expanded curriculum.

The funds were crucial to the district's success. But its financial future is still uncertain. The district has the lowest tax rate in Northfield Township and the seventh lowest in Illinois. But school administrators have not decided whether to put another increase on the next ballot, and are still pending, according to .

Lawyers for the district are currently working on a settlement with Allstate over the company's appeal of its 2004-2006 taxes. After that, they will do the same over the insurer's 2007-2009 appeal, according to Nicholson.

“In regards to the 2010-2012 taxes, Allstate has agreed to not appeal the amount due to the fact that we were able to meet with the Cook County assessor to lower the assessor's appraisal of the Allstate properties on which their taxes will be based,” Nicholson explained in an e-mail.

“The only condition that could cause a change in this agreement for 2010-2012 is if there is a significant change in the Allstate property,” she added.

The district has already raised some student fees for the upcoming school year to offset some of the cuts. In the future, administrators are considering more cuts including layoffs, increased class sizes, higher fees for some student programs, postponement of facility repairs and maintenance projects, limitation of summer school and the elimination of the gifted program.