The Morton CUSD 709 Board of Education approved its 2025 levy resolution at its December meeting after a Truth in Taxation public hearing and discussion.

During the hearing district staff reported year-end fund balances and explained why the district is seeking to capture allowable levy room in a tax-cap county. The staff presentation listed year-end figures including an education fund balance of about $24 million, operations and maintenance at roughly $17,000,016.80, a bond and interest balance reported as $17,700, transportation at about $724,000, IMRF and Social Security under $900,000, working cash above $4 million and tort around $611,000.

A member of the public asked whether the levy represents a new tax increase or merely an extension of the current levy. A district representative responded that while the district is "not levying over the 5%" cap this year, total property tax bills may rise if equalized assessed values (EAV) in the district increase; staff added that the county's tax-cap rules limit annual allowable levy growth to the lesser of the CPI (which staff said is 2.9%) or 5%, and failing to capture allowable levy authority in any year reduces the district's future levy capacity through compounded caps.

Board member [identified in the meeting transcript as speaker 12] moved to approve the 2025 levy resolution; the motion was seconded by [speaker 9]. The board approved the levy by roll-call vote; all members present voted yes.

The board also approved the consent agenda later in the meeting, during which administration reported several donations supporting the high school marching band program.

Next steps: the approved levy resolution will be forwarded to the county clerk to set the tax levy for the school year (payable in 2026–27). The district indicated the hearing and resolution are statutory requirements for levies and provided the fund-balance disclosures required by law.