A proposed Mokena land use plan that would decrease light industrial and commercial zoning along 191st Street could be a financial blow to Mokena Elementary School District 159, the superintendent said recently.
Supt. Roger Reardon said the school district was counting on some industrial and commercial development to ease homeowners’ tax burden.
“From the school district’s point of view, we have lost some major tax dollars (if the Village Board adopts the plan),” Reardon told the school board.
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Reardon and School Board President Bruce Ebert have consistently advocated industrial and commercial development along 191st Street as a way to beef up school revenues.
The school district’s eastern border lies west of LaGrange Road, so the commercial development there doesn’t benefit Mokena schools, Ebert said.
“We’re doing everything that we can to keep the personal property tax down,” Reardon said.
But unexpected residential development will hurt the school district and the taxpayers, he said, noting that the projected addition of 75 single-family homes and 75 town homes will bring an unexpected influx of new students. “This is another one of those subdivisions we never planned on happening,” he said. “It’s going to have a major impact on our enrollment and our facilities.”
School board member Ken Raiser said the altered land use plan could “severely affect” the quality of education in the district.
The land use plan, which village officials said reflects better planning by keeping industrial development away from residential neighborhoods, is due to come up for a vote at the Village Board meeting Monday.