Some 'Not Appreciative' Of LTHS Tax Hike: Official

LA GRANGE, IL – A top Lyon Township High School official acknowledged last week some residents won't be happy with the school's planned property tax increase.

At a school board meeting, members unanimously took the first step to increase the total amount of next year's property taxes collected by 5 percent.

As a result, next year's property tax levy is set at $81.2 million, nearly $4 million over this year's. That's not including the money brought in as a result of new construction.

Ninety percent of the school's income comes from local property taxes, which is similar to schools in other wealthy towns.

The elementary and high school districts make up about two-thirds of the local property tax bill.

Under state law, a public body can increase its property tax levy by the rate of inflation up to 5 percent.

As of December 2022 – when the inflation rate is gauged for tax purposes – it was 6.5 percent.

Lyons Township High is hardly alone in increasing the tax levy to the maximum this year. It did so last year as well.

Officials point to inflation as the reason for the maximum tax hikes.

"Certainly, we don't take this lightly," Brian Stachacz, the high school's director of business services, told the board. "I know there are community members, taxpayers that are not appreciative of this. But at the end of the day, that's how the state of Illinois has chosen to fund its school districts. So that's how we have to operate."