Homewood SD 153 board approves payments, preliminary 2025 tax levy and life‑safety survey submission
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Summary
The Homewood SD 153 board authorized routine bill payments (Oct/Nov), approved a preliminary 2025 tax levy estimated near $26.8 million and voted to submit a ten‑year life‑safety survey for three buildings, removing roughly $13M of lower‑priority items to meet state timing and bond‑sale requirements.
The Homewood School District 153 Board of Education on Nov. 10 authorized routine bill payments, approved a preliminary 2025 tax levy and approved submission of a ten‑year life‑safety survey to the Illinois State Board of Education, actions the district said are needed to preserve the option to issue bonds without increasing the debt levy.
On routine payments, the board, acting on the chief school business official’s recommendation, authorized the second payment of October 2025 bills and the first payment of November 2025 bills in an amount not to exceed $2,734,579.31. The motion was moved, seconded, roll call recorded and the chair announced the motion carries.
Chip Murphy, the district’s chief school business official, presented a draft preliminary 2025 tax levy and explained county timing issues for Cook County’s final numbers. He said the 2024 levy included an operating levy of $20,015,000 and a debt levy of $5,762,000 for a total of $25,778,000. Using the consumer price index (2.9%) as a guideline, Murphy said the operating levy would increase by roughly $680,000, producing an estimated total levy near $26,800,000 in the district’s draft submission. "For 2025, the consumer price index is 2.9%. So we'll be increasing our operating levy by that, which is about $680,000," Murphy said.
The board then approved a district facility ten‑year life‑safety survey and submission to the State Board. Studio GC’s recommendations presented totals across the three buildings of about $20,335,000 in A/B/C category items (James Hart ~$14.1M; Willow ~$2.985M; Churchill listed in the presenter’s totals). District staff said they removed approximately $13,000,000 of Category C items (items for which no revenue stream was identified for the next 10 years) to make the submission more acceptable to state reviewers and to meet timing needs for a potential bond sale. The district also indicated between $15M and $16M in proceeds could be available from bonds without increasing the debt levy, depending on market interest rates.
The board also approved a routine resolution authorizing the district’s attorneys (Patrick Gleeson; Boyle & Izzo) to file property‑tax appeals on the district’s behalf without separate special approvals each time. Finally, the board approved employment items (two hires) as presented and received a quarterly press update for later consideration.
Votes at a glance: the board recorded approvals on the consent agenda (routine bills and state report cards), payment authorization not to exceed $2,734,579.31, preliminary 2025 tax levy approval (draft estimate near $26,800,000), the ten‑year life‑safety survey submission (A/B/C items presented at ~$20,335,000 with ~ $13M Category C items removed for submission), the property tax intervention resolution and two employment approvals. The motions were moved, seconded and adopted by roll call votes where recorded.
District leaders said the life‑safety submission focuses on safety‑critical work (roofing, plumbing, site work and mechanicals) and noted a recent flood at James Hart as an example of hidden systems that need replacement. The board did not finalize bond issuance or the final levy amount at the meeting; those actions will follow required public‑notice steps and final Cook County data.
