The Lake Station City Council has approved a resolution supporting the Lake Station Community Schools’ referendum renewal that’s on the Nov. 5 ballot.
School and city officials are pushing hard for the eight-year $1.3 million annual renewal after it suffered a 14-vote defeat last year. Voters supported the referendum in 2017.
“All we are asking is to continue that approved referendum. We’re not asking for any more money,” said Superintendent Thomas Cripliver.
The money in the district’s operating fund was primarily dedicated to transportation and as a result of its defeat, students are only in school three days a week this year, while attending elearning classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
School officials have said five days of in-school classes will begin again in November if the referendum is approved.
Superintendent Thomas Cripliver told the council the district has lost $7.4 million in tax revenue from 2019 to 2024, because property taxes are capped, leaving the district unable to raise the money without a referendum.
“For a small school district … that is a huge amount of money to lose. It goes to the operations fund that funds transportation, utilities, air conditioning, liability insurance and is also used to maintain buildings and grounds and pay administrative salaries.”
He called it the “behind the scenes” fund that keeps the district operating.
Property taxes support the operations fund, while the state provides funding to the education fund, which covers teacher salaries and instructional expenses.
Besides the reduction in transportation, the district has laid off teachers, and staff members and reduced academic offerings.
Cripliver said students lost the K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) program, the elementary gifted and talented program, elementary music and some high school elective courses.
“We desperately want to bring those programs back and provide those opportunities to our students,” Cripliver said.
School and city officials said the referendum’s wording on the ballot is misleading. The question on the ballot states voters would face a 65% increase in property taxes.
“Your property tax is not going up,” Cripliver said. “What’s going up is an increase in referendum money that goes into the operating fund.”
He said the district paid down some of its debt last year, lowering property tax rates by 34 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
“It’s almost written in a way that will scare off people. For some reason, they want people to be confused,” said council president Rick Long, D-5. “It affects our community in a big way. Kids who typically got to Lake Station are now going to other schools because parents can’t take off two days a week.”
In other business, the council approved its 2025 proposed $13 million budget that didn’t include raises for elected officials. City employees will receive $1,000 raises. Consultant Steve Dalton said it marked the first time in 10 years the $4.5 million general fund was balanced.
The budget moves on to the state Department of Local Government and Finance for final approval.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/10/16/city-leaders-back-lake-station-school-referendum-bid/