The District 233 school board again agreed to give taxpayers a break by abating taxes by $3.8 million. That abatement breaks down to $1.9 million each for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
Over the last seven years, the board has abated more than $29 million to taxpayers, according to Lawrence Cook, chief school business official.
At its Feb. 18 meeting, Cook said the board will receive $1,868,779 from the Illinois State Board of Education in its evidence-based funding formula. That is how the state provides its support to schools.
Schools in the South Suburbs rely heavily on property taxes. Taxpayers fund approximately two-thirds of H-F’s expenses. The Illinois legislature, through ISBE, provides Property Tax Relief Grants to certain districts to help reduce that heavy tax burden. Homewood-Flossmoor has qualified for the grants since 2019 when the program was first available.
To receive the grants, the state requires districts abate taxes back to taxpayers. District 233 has also made voluntary abatements, something not all districts are doing. The District 233 board has agreed to do that each year.
Taxpayers don’t see the money. Abating means District 233 is reducing the levy amount it asks the Cook County Treasurer to collect in taxes for high school operations. At the same time, the state gives the district an extra infusion of cash through the Property Tax Relief Grant.
