SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) today announced the 28 school districts that are eligible to receive the Property Tax Relief Grant for fiscal year 2019. The $50 million state grant covers a portion of local property tax reductions, up to the statutory limit. A total of 373 districts applied for the Property Tax Relief Grant in this first year of implementation. The formula in the law awards eligibility to those districts with the highest unit equivalent tax rate compared to all the districts that applied.
Eligible districts must submit an abatement resolution to their county clerks by March 30 and share the resolution with ISBE. ISBE will distribute the grant funding to each eligible district on a scheduled date after receiving the Certification of Abatement Form from the county clerk. The Property Tax Relief Grant amount will become a permanent part of each district’s Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) Base Funding Minimum going forward.
“Shifting more of the responsibility for education funding to the state makes our system fairer and more equitable,” said State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith, Ph.D. “Local property wealth should not determine the educational resources available to a child. The Property Tax Relief Grant takes a critical step toward uplifting families and communities.”
The districts eligible for the FY 2019 Property Tax Relief Grant are:
· Antioch Community High School District 117
· Argo Community High School District 217
· Bloom Township High School District 206
· Bremen Community High School District 228
· Community High School District 218
· Dolton School District 148
· Elementary School District 159
· Evergreen Park Community High School District 231
· Ford Heights School District 169
· Gen. George Patton School District 133
· Grayslake Community High School District 127
· Homewood Flossmoor Community High School District 233
· Lansing School District 158
· Leyden Community High School District 212
· Oak Lawn Community High School District 229
· Oak Park & River Forest District 200
· Ohio Community High School District 505
· Park Forest School District 163
· Rantoul Township High School District 193
· Reavis Township High School District 220
· Rich Township High School District 227
· Rock Falls Township High School District 301
· St. Anne Community High School District 302
· Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215
· Thornton Township High School District 205
· Township High School District 211
· Zion Elementary School District 6
· Zion-Benton Township High School District 126
The 28 eligible districts collectively may provide approximately $56.9 million in total local property tax relief, in exchange for the $50 million in state grants. ISBE will distribute any funds not used for the Property Tax Relief Grant through the EBF tiers near the end of FY 2019.
The EBF law requires an appropriation of at least $350 million annually, with $50 million reserved for the Property Tax Relief Grant. All districts may apply for the grant each year, pending appropriations. Find more information on the Property Tax Relief Grant and each eligible district’s total possible property tax relief at www.isbe.net/proptaxrelief.