District 31, which is facing a $1.55 million deficit, will try to pass a referendum March 20 for a 0.27 percent property tax increase.
According to Principal Brian Wegley, of an average incoming freshman class of 650 kids, about 70 come from District 31, compromised of Winkelman Elementary School and Field Middle School.
“The referendum is to ask the taxpayers in the area […] to allow [the tax rate] to be increased,” Dr. Alexandra Nicholson, District 31 superintendent, said.
According to district31.net, District 31 has the seventh lowest tax rate in the state and will continue to have lower rates (if the referendum passes) than surrounding districts, like District 34 or 27.
Nicholson said the district has made $1.8 million worth of cuts since 2008, including cutting the budgets of the teaching staff and administration and delaying work on facilities. The referendum would allow District 31 to continue functioning at their minimum budget.
“The district’s reserves are being wiped out [and] at the same time, expense growth has overtaken tax revenue growth, so there is an operating deficit,” Jim Hofmockel, District 31 parent, said.
Another reason for the referendum is their insufficient revenues, meaning that the money currently coming into the district is not enough to sustain the state required reserves. Nicholson said the district can currently pay 25 percent of the district’s yearly expenses. Because of the increasing price of operating the schools, the district will not have enough money to pay for its expenses by 2014.
Despite the lack of funds, the ELL program needs more funding. Nicholson said almost half of all incoming students speak little to no English, requiring an extensive ELL program.
“When you have 20 people in your district that need an ELL program, you need to hire somebody in that language,” Susan Harrison, chair of Citizens for District 31, explained.
The district has teachers for Korean and Spanish, and will soon need instructors for Russian and Mongolian. Harrison says this could be an additional $80,000 a year per teacher.
If the referendum does not pass, the district will face an additional million dollar cut over the next two school years, according to Nicholson.
Educational assistants will also be eliminated, along with accelerated math programs and the gifted program. Language and speech helpers will be split between Field and Winkelman. All sports teams and extra-curricular activities will be slashed, according to Nicholson.
“It would be a shame if District 31 students did not have the resources to properly teach their children,” Hofmockel said. “[…] Our children have performed very well at Glenbrook North and South High Schools.”
South students from Field are worried about future generations.
“I have a younger brother who is in seventh grade at Field,” sophomore Rosalie Maher said. “He was on the basketball team […] and when we found out about all the cuts taking place next year, he and his friends were very distraught […] the students will now have to form their own teams.”
Early voting is open from Feb. 27 until March 15, and Election Day is March 20. Polls are open to registered voters with their main residence in district boundaries.
