The recently passed public school funding measure, Senate Bill 1947, is slated to provide targeted property tax relief to certain sections of Illinois, including several school districts in Lake County.
In Lake County, researchers have identified the following school districts as potential property tax savers under SB1947:
- Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3
- Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
- Round Lake Area School District 116
- Grant Community High School District 124
- Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
- Grayslake Community High School District 127
Politicians took a hard route to the K-12 funding bill, which took shape over months of debate. An original bill, SB1, passed along party lines after being decried by conservatives as a bailout for failing Chicago Public Schools, but was vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Both chambers of the General Assembly approved SB1947 and it was signed into law by Rauner in late August. The law empowers residents of select districts to vote on property tax relief. However, the legislation opens up Cook County taxpayers to a property tax increase of up to $163 million, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.