The District 233 school board will consider abating taxes on the proposed 2025 tax levy, but it is likely the last time the board will take that step because state funding is expected to dry up.
This year, District 233 did not receive a Property Tax Relief Grant. The state says the program is paused, but some say the likelihood that it will be offered again is doubtful.
Abating the levy means the district will give taxpayers $3.19 million in tax relief by reducing the amount of money it needs to collect for operations at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. The district has been abating taxes since it first received a Property Tax Relief Grant from the state in 2018. Taking the grant carried an abatement mandate.
Over the past seven years, the school board has provided taxpayers with $34.6 million in relief, according to Lawrence Cook, chief school business official, who presented the proposed levy at the Oct. 21 meeting.
When receiving a grant, the state mandated that District 233 give property tax relief. The school board voted for that and for several years went beyond the requirement giving taxpayers a second abatement amount. Few districts gave the additional abatement. Cook said the school board felt it could provide the tax relief because H-F had money in reserves and it didn’t want to burden homeowners and businesses.
On the 2025 tax levy, Cook shows District 233 abating $1.28 million that was mandated by the state when it was awarded a Property Tax Relief Grant in 2024.
Cook is suggesting the school board tack on the second abatement of $1.9 million. The board will vote on that proposal at its Nov. 18 meeting.
Financial consultant Bob Grossi agreed with the abatement recommendation, but said “the strength of my recommendation gets a little weaker every year. Every decision you make as a board is connected, so the decision on how much capital, the decision on how much borrowing and how much fund balance you want to have and the decision on taxes — they’re all connected. One impacts the others. There’s no perfect sweet spot, but for this year, one more time, we (he and Cook) were comfortable doing it.”
Cook presented the board with a $49.36 million levy which reflects a 2.9% increase. He said the board is limited through Illinois’ legislation, commonly known as the Property Tax Cap, that stipulates districts can raise taxes up to 5% or the Consumer Price Index — whichever is less. Cook said CPI is 2.9%.
The majority of H-F’s funding comes from property taxes at 56%. State support provides 33%. Cook and Grossi both expect future state funding to drop. That’s on top of the estimated $2 million the district did not receive through the Property Tax Relief Grant and likely won’t be offered in the future.
