O’Fallon, Shiloh school boards have tax levy hearings

O’Fallon and Shiloh boards of education approved their district tax levies in December for the next fiscal year.

All state school school districts are responsible for establishing an annual tax levy, and then certifying with county clerk’s offices before Tuesday, Dec. 26. The levies adopted are applied to the 2017 equalized assessed valuation that results in property taxes paid by taxes somewhere between June and November of 2018.

O’Fallon 90

O’Fallon Consolidated School District 90 Board of Education approved a levy increase of 4.99 percent with an anticipated EAV growth of 3.53 percent.

But while the tax levy sets the amount of local dollars the district will receive, District 90 Superintendent Carrie Hruby said state funding is still a question mark. However, she hopes more answers will surface by February .

“We should know more about the evidenced-based funding model and new legislation, but now our current state dollars are calculated on our previous state aid,” Hruby said.

The district held its hearing on Tuesday, Dec. 19 at the district office at 118 E. Washington St.

In other news, the Delores Moye Elementary media center, gym and multipurpose cafeteria exterior roof failed its 10-year inspection. The deterioration was caused leaking. It was recommended the 38,000-square-foot roof be replaced with a synthetic rubber roofing system by August 2018. An estimate for the project, dated Feb. 15, 2015, put the price tag at for about $250,000.

BOE members also identified a future priority of the district — reducing class sizes. Future discussions will address costs and plans associated with the goal.

Central 104

O’Fallon Central School District 104 board set next year’s property tax levy at $5,450,250, a 4.91 percent increase over last year’s levy.

The district held its hearing Monday, Dec. 11 at the district office at 309 Hartman Lane in O’Fallon.

In other news, the 5 Essentials Survey will continue to be administered to sixth-eighth grade students, teachers and parents through Jan. 18, 2018, since beginning Nov. 15.

Shiloh 85

Dale Sauer, the Shiloh School District 85 superintendent, said he expects the district’s estimated assessed value to “remain flat” or have “a slight increase of less than 1 percent.”

The district levied $2,571,400 in property taxes last year and $2,569,200 this year, Sauer said.

The will pay off more debt this year. The amount to be levied for this year’s debt service is 3.75 percent more than the taxes extended for last year’s debt service. Last year, the property taxes extended for the bond and interest was $616,007 with a slight increase this year to $626,100.

Shiloh 85 held its meeting Monday, Dec. 18 at Shiloh Elementary School.

OTHS 203

O’Fallon Township High School SD 203 approved a tax levy increase of 2.27 percent.

Tax increases for OTHS in recent years are mostly a due payments on bonds issued to build the Milburn campus 10 years ago. The bonds have a 20-year debt repayment schedule, according OTHS SD 203 BOE tax levy documents.

The Disabled Veterans Exemption legislation (SB0107) enacted in August 2015 reduced the EAV for OTHS. In 2017, over $53 million in assessments were exempted from property taxes for disable veterans with a loss in local revenue for OTHS of $1 million in the last two years.

The the district has made efforts to reduce deficit spending since 2010, said 203 Superintendent Darcy Beny.

The district has cut nearly $4 million from its operating funds from since 2010. The district has also refinanced existing debt in 2014 and 2015, saving taxpayers about $1.6 million over the life of the bonds; withdrawn from Belleville Area Special Services Education Cooperative in 2016 to save about $300,000; and implemented deficit reductions of 64 semester sections of classes to save over $850,000 since last year, Benway said.

“(This) demonstrates how the Board of Education and school leaders have been proactive in addressing the financial issues of OTHS during these very difficult economic times in Illinois,” Benway said.

This story was originally published January 3, 2018 at 10:19 AM with the headline "O’Fallon, Shiloh school boards have tax levy hearings."