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Elwood seeks 4.2% tax-levy override to close $1.5 million gap in proposed 2025–26 budget
Summary
District leaders presented a $79 million 2025–26 proposed budget that exceeds the district's allowable levy growth and asks voters to approve a 4.2% tax-levy increase to cover a roughly $1.5 million remaining shortfall; officials say targeted cuts and reserve use have narrowed the deficit.
The Elwood Union Free School District presented a proposed 2025–26 budget calling for a 4.2% tax-levy increase — above the district's allowable 1.29% growth factor — and asked voters to approve the override to close a remaining deficit of about $1.5 million, district officials said at a budget hearing Wednesday.
The proposal, the district said, would fund a general fund budget of about $79,000,000 while preserving classroom programs and using a combination of targeted reductions, reserve withdrawals and fund balance to narrow a previously larger deficit. "A 4.2% levy increase does not equate to a 4.2% increase on your taxes," the presenter said, noting an online tax calculator the district has published with sample household impacts.
Why it matters: the proposed levy exceeds the district's allowable growth factor and therefore requires a 60% supermajority of voters to pass. If voters reject the proposal twice, district officials said they would be forced to adopt a contingent budget that would require…
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