The St. Charles District 303 School Board decided Monday night that it would tax homeowners an additional 1.5 percent for 2014.
The district is asking for a 3.18 percent increase in the tax levy, what is allowed by law, but once new growth in District 303 is added in, and the district “abates” money to taxpayers, the overall increase will be about 1.5 percent, according to district officials.
That increase for the owner of a $300,000 home adds about $88 a year to their property tax bill, said Seth Chapman, assistant superintendent of human services.
Much of a lengthy discussion centered on whether the administration should be tightening its belt to bring that increase down to 1 percent.
Asking taxpayers for a 1.5 percent increase translates to cuts for the district of about $1.3 million for this school year, and another $1.9 million for the 2015-16 school year, Chapman said. The money generated by the levy covers the last half of this school year and the first half of the next.
Spending cuts could come from textbooks, individual school budgets, or reducing staff by about 30 full-time positions, Chapman said.
“We’re comfortable” with a 1.5 percent (increase),” Supt. Don Schlomann said. “It’s not like it’s not going to hurt, but it’s not going to make such significant changes to our classrooms that we can’t work through these kinds of things.”
Board member Ed McNally said he wished the administration would have provided specifics on how it could cut expenses for a 1 percent increase and said the board should be having those discussions now as it decides the annual levy instead of waiting until the budgeting process later in the year.
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Schlomann said that if the board wanted to alter what it abates to taxpayers in March, members will have to be willing to withstand pressure from residents upset when class sizes increase.
“You can’t have it both ways,” Schlomann said.
Chapman said a 1 percent increase could translate to cutting about 56 full-time staff positions.
McNally stressed that taxpayers are “underwater” on their houses. “People are losing their jobs” and would be affected by any increase, he said.
Board President Steve Spurling said that “just because people have hard times, they still want to have a good education for their kids.”