By Eric Stock
NORMAL – Illinois is approaching 700 days without a complete state budget and Unit 5 is owed $8 million in state aid.
Superintendent Mark Daniel told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin and Patti Penn, a Senate-approved property tax freeze would only be feasible if school districts could be able to raise the tax on their own.
“There really isn’t any substantial way to generate (revenue), so you’d have to go after some type of referendum,” Daniel said. “There could be a difference (in having) no property tax increases unless a referendum is passed by a local community. That I can live with.”
The Illinois Senate approved a two-year property tax freeze this week. Gov. Bruce Rauner wants a four-year property tax freeze but with local control.
District 87 superintendent Barry Reilly said a property tax freeze would be ‘disastrous’ for Illinois.
Daniel said without property taxes, the primary funding source for many schools, the district would faces some tough decisions to find the money elsewhere or cut staff.
“When people say programs, that’s people. People are programs, so you are reducing staff,” Daniel added.
State Senator Jason Barickman provided a state budget update for the school board last night. The Bloomington Republican told educators a block grant for Chicago Public Schools is causing the financial imbalance among Illinois schools. The state is 8 million dollars behind in aid to the Normal-based school system
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
