Education Matters US

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

By Susan Kuczka
Source: Chicago Tribune

In a highly unusual move, a Lake County circuit judge has given the green light for an emergency tax-increase vote to be held Oct. 11 by an elementary school district in north suburban Winthrop Harbor.

“We’ve done all the cutting anyone could reasonably do,” said District 1 Supt. James Tenbusch, who helped convince a judge this month that the district risks violating basic classroom requirements without more money.

The recent elimination of four physical-education teaching positions means the district can offer little more than a “glorified recess” session, he said.

The Illinois school code mandates that pupils receive a minimum of 25 minutes of physical education each day.

State election and school officials said emergency referendums are extremely rare.

“This doesn’t happen very often in Illinois,” said Dan White, executive director of the State Board of Elections.

Before 1980, when a new consolidated election law took effect, school districts could hold referendums virtually anytime. Under current law, schools must hold referendums at the same time as regular primary and general elections.

Since 1980, only a handful of districts have won court approval for a special election. In Lake County, the last emergency referendum was in 1989, when North Chicago schools sought a funding increase. The Warren Township high school district in Gurnee held a referendum in 1985 after a school fire.

After Winthrop Harbor voters rejected funding increases three times in two years, including in April, school officials said they had no choice.

“We’re already operating with less than half the administrative staff of a comparable district,” Tenbusch said. “We run the risk of being in violation of the Illinois school code.”

Schools that fail to meet the code’s classroom requirements could lose tax dollars.

“It doesn’t happen often, but the ultimate penalty could be loss of state funding if schools are not in compliance,” said a spokesman for the Illinois State Board of Education.

While school officials and parents say they are confident the measure will be approved this time, they are worried about an anonymous telephone campaign to homes of many of the district’s more than 3,000 registered voters.

“It’s blatantly incorrect and misleading,” said Tenbusch, who believes the opponents are from outside the district.

The emergency referendum for Winthrop Harbor is the second one ordered this summer in Lake County. Facing similar funding problems, the Beach Park Fire Protection District recently obtained a court order to hold an emergency vote Sept. 13 in an effort to secure full-time paramedic service.

Attorney Shawn Flaherty, who represented Winthrop Harbor and Beach Park in their special-election requests before different judges, said the cases were nearly identical.

“The taxing bodies had to [prove] that there’s an emergency situation, and the emergency was not of their making,” Flaherty said.

In Winthrop Harbor, officials have unsuccessfully sought more operating revenue to bolster their approximately $5.8 million annual budget.

In April, voters rejected a measure to increase the education fund’s tax rate by 39 cents–roughly 13 percent, generating about $475,000 annually.

The October referendum–seeking the same 39 cent increase to put the district’s education-fund tax rate at $2.99 per $100 of assessed valuation–would cost the owner of a $175,000 home about $227 more in annual property taxes, bringing the average bill to about $1,743 a year, officials said.

Tenbusch said he is confident.

“We came within 29 votes last time, so it wasn’t exactly like we lost by a huge margin,” he said. “We’ve had three attempts, and every time we’re closer. So we’re headed in the right direction.”

School officials are sponsoring a “Mega Event” on Sept. 24 at Westfield School to answer questions about the proposal.

Before this week’s opening of Winthrop Harbor’s three elementary schools, officials eliminated the positions of four physical education teachers, a music teacher and a band teacher in the 800-pupil district. That followed last year’s cuts of 38 extracurricular activities, including sports and choir.

“The reason we’ll be on the ballot in the fall is because we have a chance to undo those cuts,” Tenbusch said. “If this is approved, we would restore everything.”

Parents such as Nichole Richardson, who has three children in the schools, also have been holding meetings to encourage support for the measure. “It’s getting to the point where they’re cutting staff, and that’s just not right,” Richardson said. “I just want my kids to have everything I had when I was in school.”

By Ralph Zahorik
STAFF WRITER

WINTHROP HARBOR — A special emergency tax referendum for financially depressed Winthrop Harbor public schools has been approved in Lake County Circuit Court.

Residents will go to polls Oct. 11 to vote on a proposed 39-cent property tax increase.

It will be the fourth time in two years that school officials have attempted to win approval for a tax increase they say the district desperately needs.

The special election was ordered by Circuit Judge Stephen Walter after the court heard testimony the school district would have to cut “essential instructional services to school children” from School Board President James Leech and Schools Superintendent James Tenbusch.

Shawn Flaherty represented the district at the hearing.

Winthrop Harbor voters rejected three previous school tax hike proposals, but each time by a narrower margin.
The proposed 39-cent increase was turned down in November 2004 by a 1,817-1,355 vote and last April by a 1,156-1,100 vote.

About 73 percent of Winthrop Harbor voters — 1,069-399 — opposed a funding plan for special education in March 2004.

With the approval of the Winthrop Harbor School District’s special election, Lake County now has two rare emergency tax referendums scheduled this fall.

A special referendum for the Beach Park (formerly Bonnie Brook) Fire District will be held Sept. 13. The district is seeking a 30-cent ambulance tax. The measure was turned down by Beach Park voters last April.

The last emergency referendum in Lake County was held for the North Chicago School District in 1989. Warren High School District had an emergency referendum after the high school burned in 1985.

The proposed Winthrop Harbor school tax hike would cost the owner of a house valued at $200,000 about $260 a year.

Winthrop Harbor schools are on the state Financial Watch List.

Currently, the 800-student district collects about $2.8 million a year in property taxes for its education fund. With a 39-cent increase, the amount could be increased to $3.3 million a year, according to a school statement.

The current budget for the district is $5.8 million. The budget would be increased to $6.3 million if the tax is approved, according to school officials.

NEWS SUN STAFF REPORT

In-person absentee voting for the Oct. 11 Winthrop Harbor School District emergency referendum election will begin Thursday in the Lake County Clerk’s office, 18 N. County St., Waukegan.

Voting will be offered during regular office hours between 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Fridays, except Fridays before holiday weekends.

In-person absentee voting will also be offered Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon. The last day to vote in-person absentee is Monday, Oct. 10.

Registered voters may also vote absentee by mail. For an application or more information, visit www.co.lake.il.us/cntyclk or call (847) 377-2406.