Hinsdale District 86 has seen its enrollment climb by 21 percent over the past 20 years.
School tax bills for district homeowners are also on the rise -- up 4 percent, from $19,794 per student in 1997-1998 to $20,652 in 2017-2018, adjusted for inflation, according to an analysis by the Dupage Policy Journal.
District enrollment climbed to 4,358 in 2017-2018 from 3,587 in 1997-1998, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) reports. Total district tax revenue rose from $71 million to $90 million over the same period adjusted for inflation.
The analysis comes as district residents head to the polls on April 2 to vote on a $139.8 million referendum.
The money from the referendum would go toward various improvements at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South, including building two new swimming pools, and upgrading security, infrastructure, technology and accessibility.
Higher property taxes for Hinsdale
If the referendum passes, the burden for paying for the additional bonds will fall almost entirely on already-strained Hinsdale property taxpayers. The district has said the owner of a home valued at $500,000 can expect to pay $282.87 more a year in property taxes.
Property taxes covered 90 percent of District 86's total spending in 2017, according to the ISBE. That's down from 98 percent in 1997.
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