Dupage Policy Journal

Lisle CUSD 202 is in line to be the first school district in the state required to reduce property taxes under a provision in the new education funding formula approved last year by the General Assembly. 

The provision allows residents to collect signatures to get a binding referendum on the ballot if their school district exceeds 110 percent of “funding adequacy.” Lisle is at 147 percent, according to MaryLynn Zajdel, who is working with "Go Refund Me Lisle 202."

“They (school board) know the voters will never approve a referendum to raise money for a new school,” Zajdel told the DuPage Policy Journal. “So every year they raise taxes and hoard the money to build one.”

Classroom

She estimates they that will have up to 1,500 signatures by the Oct. 2 deadline, well beyond the 10 percent of voters needed to get the question on the ballot next April. They plan to file the signatures with the DuPage County Clerk’s office a day before the deadline.

“There is a five-day period for objections to be filed,” Zajdel said. “We expect them to come after us with a lot of arguments that the kids will suffer if they are required to cut taxes.”

But even with the tax reductions the district would still be at 133% funding adequacy – higher than neighboring districts including Naperville Unit School District 203.

The group is asking for 6.5 percent cut in the total tax levy, or $1.9 million of the $30 million line item. Property owners will see it as a reduction in the levy over the upcoming year; it will amount to about a $100 reduction per $100,000 of the fair market real estate value of the homes.

Zajdel said the “Go Refund Me Lisle 202” campaign started last December when over 100 residents showed up for a school board meeting and demanded a reduction in taxes. The board rejected their request.

“That December meeting got a lot of people fired up about doing something about this,” Zajdel said.

She added that Illinois has the 2nd highest property tax burden in the country, and DuPage County property taxes are among the highest in Illinois.

“As thousands of Illinois residents continue to flee Illinois annually, we choose to stay and fight the excessive property tax burden,” she said.

Ninety school districts have funding adequacy above 110 percent, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.