By Howard Packowitz

NORMAL – Property owners in the Unit 5 school district are expected to see a modest tax increase next year assuming the school board approves a $10 million bond issue for building improvements.

At Wednesday night’s school board meeting, Business Manager Marty Hickman predicted the district will collect $111.1 million in property taxes next year, up almost one percent from the previous levy, which did not include the so-called health and life safety bonds.

The tax rate is expected to rise a little less than a penny to about $5.02 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Hickman said the owner of a $150,000 home would pay an extra $3.50, due in part to slower growth in the value of total taxable property in Unit 5.

Property values in Unit 5 are expected to rise just one percent, compared to a 2.4 percent increase the previous year.

“You could see the rate stay the same, or even potentially drop if property values had increased more than one percent,” Hickman said.

Actual assessed values won’t be known until next spring.

The school board is scheduled to vote on the tax levy next month, and will be asked to approve the bond issue in January.

In other business, the school board unanimously approved a resolution declaring Unit 5 a safe and welcoming district for all students, including so-called Dreamers whose parents might be undocumented immigrants.

The resolution is similar to the one adopted by District 87 schools earlier this year. Both districts pledge to keep confidential, unless required by law, information about a student’s immigration status.

Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, are not welcome on school grounds because they would disrupt the educational environment.

Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]