River Forest School District 90 has drafted a levy of nearly $10.9 million for next year, a 3.8 percent hike from this year's property tax receipts, though the district is not likely to receive that much.

The school district's operating levy, not counting the bond and interest portion, is about $9.6 million, Cozzi said. The bond and interest levy is set by the county, he noted, but the district estimates it will receive $1.2 million under that request.

The total draft levy is about $400,000 more than what the district received in taxes last year, which was about $10.5 million, Cozzi said.

But the state's cap on property taxes will reduce the amount the school district actually brings in, he said. The cap limits levy growth to the consumer price index or five percent, whichever is lower. The price index now is 2.4 percent.

The school district balloons its levy to capture taxes on any new or improved property added to the tax roles, Cozzi said.

The school district is considering paying off some of its life safety debt from 2000, Cozzi said. Life safety projects were done at all three schools, and about $230,000 was left once the projects were done.

"When you have a surplus, and the projects are done, you can roll that into a new project or (pay off) the bond," Cozzi said. "We're currently compliant with our life safety issues, so we're going to defease some bonds."

A public hearing on the school district's levy is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15 at Roosevelt Middle School, 7560 Oak St., prior to the School Board's regularly scheduled meeting, Cozzi said. Two weeks prior to that, the school district will publish a public notice on the levy.

Under the draft, $8.1 million is slated to go toward educational purposes; $992,000 to operations and maintenance; $154,000 toward transportation; $90,500 toward the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund; $90,500 for Social Security; $53,000 for special education, and $135,000 for working cash, Cozzi said.

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