The Harlem Consolidated School District Board of Education voted Aug. 18 to adopt a resolution asking that a county school facility sales tax be placed on the ballot next March, directing the question to Winnebago County for inclusion if Rockford Public Schools (RPS) also approves a companion resolution. Board members voted in favor by roll call; one member voted no.
Why it matters: district staff and board members said the tax would create a new, dedicated revenue stream for capital repairs — boilers, chillers, fire alarms and parking — that they say the district cannot sustain on current property tax and bond resources alone. A district facility assessment cited project needs “over a $100,000,000.”
Board discussion and context: Josh Schranen, business and operations, presented the proposal and said the sales tax dollars would not be used for operating expenses. He told the board the tax would not apply to “cars, trucks, boats, RVs, mobile homes, unprepared food, and pharmacy drugs,” and that, if passed by county voters, the district would begin receiving funds the October after the tax takes effect (the ballot measure would begin July 1 with revenue flow starting in October). Schranen and other board members discussed alternatives including issuing bonds and raising property taxes through the levy; he said the district could instead use sales-tax revenue to abate a portion of debt service that now appears in the levy.
Several board members said they supported placing the question on the ballot to let county voters decide and to spread facility costs to patrons who shop in the county. One board member opposed the resolution, citing concern about cumulative local sales tax rates and the effect on businesses and consumers.
Legal and procedural notes: the board framed the resolution as a show of support and a procedural step to allow the question to be placed before county voters, and emphasized that RPS (Rockford Public Schools) must also approve a companion resolution because state rules require districts representing more than 50% of county students to move a county question forward.
Outcome and next steps: the board approved the resolution by roll call and directed staff to continue public education about the measure, with public town halls and further informational sessions planned before the March ballot. The board did not commit the district to any specific project until—or unless—voters approve the tax.