Forest Leaves - 11/09/2005

Dist. 90 panel eyes tax hike
BY CHRIS LAFORTUNE
STAFF WRITER

The chairman of a School District 90 committee discussing whether the district should seek a tax hike referendum hopes the group will make a recommendation tonight.

Raymond McGaugh, chairman of the district's fiscal action team, said Monday he isn't sure what the group's recommendation will be, but noted tonight is its last scheduled meeting. The committee will meet at 7 p.m. tonight in the multipurpose center at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak Ave.

"I wouldn't want to jump the gun or anything," McGaugh said. "People have differing opinions, and they're entitled to take time to think about it and give it due consideration."

School Board President David Gregg said Friday he plans to attend tonight's fiscal action team meeting to see what the group has to say about a referendum.

The School Board discussed both potential budget cuts and referendum scenarios Nov. 1, but is not yet in favor of any specific plan, Gregg said.

"We're waiting to get a final conclusion of the fiscal action team," he said. "We're hoping they're done in a week or two. Then we'll deliberate and come up with a number."

Following its meeting tonight, the committee will make a presentation of its findings to the board Nov. 29, Superintendent Marlene Kamm said Monday.

Cuts, or tax hike

The committee has discussed 5, 10 and 20 percent reductions to the district's budget as well as a referendum seeking a property tax rate hike of 30.5¢, 40.5¢ or 50.5¢, Kamm said. The group will likely look at further referendum scenarios tonight.

The median assessed value of a home in River Forest for 2004 was $59,680, Business Manager Anthony Cozzi said Monday. The fair market value of that home would be $596,800.

A 30.5¢ increase in the education fund rate would cost the owner of such a home $569 in additional property taxes paid to District 90, Cozzi said. A 40.5¢ increase would cost $721, while 50.5¢ more would cost $874.

Under the 10-percent budget cut scenario, a draft of which was provided by the district last week, the district could save about $1.3 million in annual education-fund spending.

The scenario's reductions include cutting 7.5 full-time teaching positions, which would increase class size. It also would cut one art and one music teacher, one middle-school and one elementary gym teacher, one computer teacher and band and orchestra directors. It would reduce academically talented math for third and fourth grade and humanities for fifth through eighth.

"Those are various alternatives the administration has presented to the board," Gregg said. "The board has not made a determination on those at this time."

Decision deadline

The board will look at cuts if its finances do not improve, Gregg said.

"They are the possible consequences if we don't get additional revenues," he said.

If the School Board decides it wants to pursue a referendum in the March election, Kamm said it must take action no later than in January.

Gregg said the board is still looking at March for the referendum.

The district's current maximum tax rate is $2.995 per $100 of equalized assessed value, but its present rate is $2.07, Gregg said. A voter-approved increase would build on the maximum rate, but tax caps and reassessments would prevent the district from reaching the maximum.

When the community approved the $2.995 rate in 1998, the closest the district ever got was $2.95, Kamm said. The rate has come down since.

"You never can get to the maximum," Kamm said. "If we could go to the (maximum), we wouldn't be going to referendum."