The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1947-08-20
SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 1926 TO
HOLD SPECIAL ELECTION
CONTINUED from Page ID

School District be allowed to levy
tax at the rate of 81 instead
of so for educational purposes?
2. Shall the Township High
School District be allowed to levy
a tax at rate of 10 instead of
1875 for Building purposes?
3. Shall the Township High
School District be authorized to
issue bonds in the amount suffi-
cient to build suitable addition
to the present building?
Now discussion of these propos-
ais. First proposal No. Shall the
District be allowed to levy tax of
81 instead of so for Educational pur-
poses - In previous session of the
State Legislature a series of bills
were exacted and became law which
placed the assessed value of all prop
erty in the State on a full 100 per
cent basis for tax purposes. In Lake
County this theoretically raised the
value of all property approximately
six times higher than it had been car
ried on the tax books previously.
Zion-Benton Township High School
has been called special Aid District,
that is we were receiving from State
Aid funds approximately a total of
$4,000 yearly or 1881 per pupil in
daily attendance. The formula which
was used in determining the special
aid was changed in the Butler Bills
so now with the new assessed values
under this law, School District No.
1926 will receive only $500 flat grant
per pupil which will be total of ap-
proximately $4,000. This means that
the District will have loss in revenue
in 1948-49 of approximately $4,000
or 20 per cent of total operating
money.
The Butler Bills also provided that
= through the means of special
election that new tax rates could be
set by the school district. 1t is this
procedure that the Board has finally
decided to present to the school dis
trict residents.
It might also be pointed out that
teachers salaries are comparatively
lower than those of the other COM
munities in this same area where liv-
ing costs are comparable. We have
lost a number of exceptionally good
teachers because of this fact in the
last two years.
The amount of 81 which will ap-
pear on the ballot will yield more tax
revenue than the School District will
need. However, the tax laws are set
up in such a way that this rate is
established but the Board of Educa-
ton will levy only the actual amount
necessary each year to operate. The
Board has always made it policy to
have an annual audit of all it's books
by reputable auditing firm. Every
thing is in order.
The enrolment trends taken from
grade school registrations indicate a
huge increase in enrolment in the
high school. The teacher-pupil load is
now as high as it can go if the school
is to remain a member of the North
Central Association. This means ad-
ding teachers to care for the heavier
enrollments.
Proposal No. 2 to set the Building
rate at 10 instead of 1875. This is
primarily validating election. Back
in 1912 an election was held to estab-
fish the tax rate for building purpos-
es. The form of the ballot used in
that election read that people were to
vote for and against. The Supreme
Court later ruled that this type of
ballot was illegal. This meant that
certain large taxpayers refused to
pay their fair share of the building
tax. This new election proposes to
use the proper type of ballot to as
sure the district that this will not
happen again. By validating as ap-
pearing earlier means to make it
valid, or legal.
The proposal No. 8 is to erect
suitable addition to the present build
ing. The biggest problem that Z.-B.
T. H. S. now is facing is that of ade-
ouate room and educational opportun-
tiles for the boys and girls in the