D215 and D158 among 32 districts in Illinois to receive state money for abating local property taxes
Information provided the Illinois State Board of Education
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (February 8, 2024) – The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently announced Property Tax Relief Grants for 32 school districts. The grant program is part of the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) for Student Success Act; it allows school districts to reduce local property taxes and replace that revenue with state funds. The $49.3 million in fiscal year 2024 grants will result in $54.2 million in property tax relief for Illinois residents.
Governor JB Pritzker’s FY 2024 budget made the program possible with an approximately $50 million appropriation. Participating school districts must abate taxes for two consecutive years. A district’s grant amount becomes a permanent part of its EBF Base Funding Minimum going forward.
“I extend my gratitude to Governor Pritzker and the General Assembly for their continued commitment to Evidence-Based Funding, a crucial effort that not only increases funding equity and adequacy for school districts but also lowers property taxes for Illinois residents through the Property Tax Relief Grant,” said State Superintendent of Education Dr. Tony Sanders. “I encourage every district across the state to apply next year.”
The districts that are eligible for the grant are those that have the highest tax rates within their organization type (elementary, high school, or unit district) out of all those that applied. Eligible districts must submit an abatement resolution to their county clerks by March 30. ISBE will distribute the grant to each eligible district after receiving the Certification of Abatement Form from the county clerk.
A total of 155 districts applied for the grant in FY 2024. All districts may apply for the grant each year. The availability of the grant is subject to appropriation.
Grant recipients
The districts receiving the FY 2024 Property Tax Relief Grant, pending their reduction of local property taxes, are:
- Bremen High School District 228
- Cahokia Unit School District 187
- Community Consolidated Schools District 168
- DeKalb Community School District 428
- Dolton School District 148
- Elementary School District 159
- Evergreen Park Community High School District 231
- Flossmoor School District 161
- Ford Heights School District 169
- Franklin Park School District 84
- Gen. George Patton School District 133
- Harlem School District 122
- Hazel Crest School District 152-5
- Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School District 233
- Hoover-Schrum Memorial School District 157
- Kirby School District 140
- Lansing School District 158
- Lindop School District 92
- Marquardt School District 15
- Matteson Elementary School District 162
- North Palos School District 117
- Park Forest School District 163
- Rich Township High School District 227
- Skokie School District 69
- Skokie School District 73.5
- South Holland School District 151
- Thornton Fractional High School District 215
- Thornton Township High School District 205
- Tinley Park Community Consolidated School District 146
- Willow Springs School District 108
- Worth School District 127
- Zion Elementary School District 6
According to ISBE data, the grant amount for District 215 is $1,731,540, resulting from an abatement of $1,751,067.
The grant amount for District 158 is $1,636,933, resulting from an abatement of $1,673,947.
To find more information on the Property Tax Relief Grant, and see more financial information on the districts listed above, visit the ISBE website.
