Monday, February 27, 2006
McHenry Grade School 15 Makes the “Need” Argument
McHenry Grade School 15 Superintendent R. Alan Hoffman writes on the school web site that his board is “seeking a 27¢ increase in years one, two and three and a 44¢ increase in years four and five.”
When I read the sentence, I thought the increases should be added together, but, after looking at the tax hike committee’s web site, I guess not.
The district apparently wants the voters to give up all of the savings that have been achieved since the property tax cap took affect.
The tax hike committee’s view is that all that money belongs to the school district. It lists how much revenue was “lost to (the tax) cap” on its web site. It seems to me that a more appropriated heading for the almost $15.7 million listed would have been “Amount saved by the taxpayers,” but that probably just emphasizes the difference between those who believe money people earn belongs to them, rather than to the governments that are supposes to serve them
The way the tax cap works is that school districts may only get the amount taxed last year, plus an increase equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. (CPI). As far back as I can remember, however, the increase in real estate value has been higher than the CPI. The result is that tax rates for tax districts like McHenry Grade School District 15 have to go down for them not to receive more than the tax cap law would allow.
Add to the inflationary increase all the new construction in each year to get an idea of what has really happened in the last decade and a half.
Now, the school board wants to take all of the money that the tax cap has saved homeowners, but it needs a “Yes” vote in the referendum, hence, the car stickers, a photograph of which is here.
When I visited the tax hike committee’s web site Saturday afternoon, I was visitor 1076. The final message was
When I read the sentence, I thought the increases should be added together, but, after looking at the tax hike committee’s web site, I guess not.
The district apparently wants the voters to give up all of the savings that have been achieved since the property tax cap took affect.
The tax hike committee’s view is that all that money belongs to the school district. It lists how much revenue was “lost to (the tax) cap” on its web site. It seems to me that a more appropriated heading for the almost $15.7 million listed would have been “Amount saved by the taxpayers,” but that probably just emphasizes the difference between those who believe money people earn belongs to them, rather than to the governments that are supposes to serve them
The way the tax cap works is that school districts may only get the amount taxed last year, plus an increase equal to the increase in the Consumer Price Index. (CPI). As far back as I can remember, however, the increase in real estate value has been higher than the CPI. The result is that tax rates for tax districts like McHenry Grade School District 15 have to go down for them not to receive more than the tax cap law would allow.
Add to the inflationary increase all the new construction in each year to get an idea of what has really happened in the last decade and a half.
Now, the school board wants to take all of the money that the tax cap has saved homeowners, but it needs a “Yes” vote in the referendum, hence, the car stickers, a photograph of which is here.
When I visited the tax hike committee’s web site Saturday afternoon, I was visitor 1076. The final message was
If you think you will still be voting NO, please contact Linda Peel or Bonnie Simon so we can follow up.This viewpoint is quite different from that provided by a friend of McHenry County Blog. Comparing numbers on the School Report Cards from 1998 to 2005, here’s what popped out:
Thank you for your support and reading through the facts!
Let your voice be heard - less than 35% of our residents vote.
EVERY VOTE COUNTS!
Inflation +20%
D-15 enrollment +5.3%
D-15 average teacher salary +40%
D-15 average admin salary +51%
D-15 # of teachers +9.1%
Operating expenses per pupil +65%
Total Ed Fund Spending +74%
Savings if district went back to the 1998 student-to-teacher
ratio $340,000
Increase in the CPI +20%
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Just once, will someone show me what is stopping the parents of these children to donate to the school districts??? Just once, would someone show me a definition of what is meant by social responsibilty??? Just once, will some one show me why we have diminsihed and stepped on the mental abilities of creativity by showing our young children that in this world there are options such a creatibvity to "create" their own baseball, soccer and so on in their own back yard or at the many many tax paid parks we do have in our county??? Just once, will they explain when residents vote no, they mean no??, Just once, will someone show me why these ANGRY residents/parents shove this issue down everyone throats with flyers and other approaches to only say that the state will take over anyway or that they have the right to degrade my community and home value by saying OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SO TERRIBLE??? Just once, will someone explain me me how I learned an instrument myself at my home and made $10,000's of dollars without the school system support me or others? Just once, will someone tell me how I survived when my parents could not even afford a home and had to rent and I still went to a private school and my parents went to every school board meeting and donated their time as did I in being a school boy patrol and cleans classrooms at night? Just once, will someone show me that they cannot afford the classes or to ACTUALLY PAY for their RESPONSIBILTY but yet have boats, go on vacations and so forth that I can't??? And just once, will someone explain to me why they did NOT THINK when they had children about the RESPONSIBILTY it would require??? We did and WE CANNOT AFFORD CHILDREN ! Oh, could you please pay for our dog and cat to be feed cause we can't? I am disabled and have NO INCOME. Thank you for the consideration !!! If the schoool system is so bad, why do they keep moving out here? Maybe, let them go bad so it can become better. Ever think of that or anything I have said. Also, my eldery mother thanks you too for causing depreciation on her house and overlooking her as well ! And guess what, I volunteer and donate to the schools every year for free as well as pay taxes for children I do not have. I have attended more meeting promoting various ways of assitance to state officals why most of these parents do NOT EVEN CARE TO ATTEND !
Yes, the tax rate decreases. Although market values increase, taxes do not proportionately increase with tax cap. The tax rate=tax burden/tax base. As the tax base increases by way of new homes and higher market values, the rate decreases. It has saved homeowners money, but the tax cap value is antiquated. In the year 2040, will it make sense to use a value that originated in 1991? Did we need computers in classrooms then? The laws need to be ammended.
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