Glencoe District 35 is seeking a nearly 8% increase in the latest property tax levy, officials announced.
District 35 Director of Finance and Operations Jason Edelheit detailed the intent to raise the levy in the elementary school district’s portion of the village’s property tax bill at an Oct. 12 school board meeting. The overall levy increase would be 7.93%, but Edelheit noted existing property taxpayers would only face a 5% hike.
The larger levy increase would be reserved for new property coming on to the village property tax rolls.
He estimated on a $30,000 property tax bill, the increase would be about $500 for existing taxpayers.
Overall, the school district would receive an additional approximate $1.5 million with the proposed levy increase. The school district has an approximate $30 million budget for the 2023-24 school year.
District 35 represents roughly a third of the overall Glencoe property tax bill, Edelheit said.
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The school board is set to vote on the levy increase in December and property tax owners would see the impact on their bill starting in the spring of 2024.
In separate action, Edelheit said bid specifications will soon go out to contractors for the proposed addition to the existing administrative offices located at Central School at 620 Greenwood Avenue.
District officials are considering the request to add on to the existing offices located at Central School citing space needs and safety concerns.
District 35 officials estimated the project would cost nearly $5 million, but will know more once bids are received.
Edelheit anticipated a bid opening just before Thanksgiving and awarding of the contract in December if the school board approves the project.
If the board signs off, Edelheit hoped to limit relocation costs under a schedule where exterior site work would begin sometime in the spring once weather permits.
The interior work would begin in the summer after the school year concludes allowing the year round staff to work in other parts of the Central School building with the goal of having the project substantially completed by the start of the 2024-25 school year.
The Glencoe Village Board approved a special use permit pertaining to zoning requests at their September board meeting.
Edelheit formally announced the opening of the South School playground occurred on Oct. 2. School officials hoped the playground would open at the start of the school year, but was delayed.
“It looks great,” board member Dev Mukherjee said.
Edelheit said in an interview after the meeting the project would have an estimated price tag of around $1.6 million, but there are discussions ongoing with the contractor.
“We haven’t come to complete agreement regarding final costs,” Edelheit said.
South School is the school for District 35’s kindergarten through second grade.
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.