District 58 presses for intergovernmental agreement as Woodridge proposes 75th Street TIF
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Summary
District 58 administrators and board members urged the Village of Woodridge to negotiate an intergovernmental agreement to mitigate potential revenue loss after learning the proposed 75th Street TIF spans four school districts; administration said it may vote against the TIF at the Jan. 7 joint review board without an IGA.
The Downers Grove Grade School District 58 Board of Education spent a substantial portion of its Dec. 8 meeting discussing the Village of Woodridge’s proposed Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district along the 75th Street corridor and how the proposal could affect school-district revenues.
Superintendent Dr. Russell told the board the TIF boundary would include parts of four school districts and that the district has asked the village to delay final action so the school boards may review and seek an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) to mitigate lost new-construction tax revenue. "The village of Woodridge is considering a TIF district along the 75th Street corridor... it encompasses 4 different school districts," he said, adding that the joint review board’s next meeting is Jan. 7 and that, absent an IGA, the district representative is inclined to vote no.
Board members expressed concern that the district’s small piece of the TIF (Windsor Lakes Apartments and nearby storefronts and the gas station at 75th and Woodward) might be included without adequate mitigation. Administrators said Woodridge has been willing to meet and that examples of successful intergovernmental agreements from elsewhere in Illinois have been shared as potential models.
Administrators also noted the uncertainty of the TIF’s development plan: while Woodridge described goals such as enhancing existing apartment complexes (Dynasty Point, Windsor Lakes), the district cautioned the village’s current materials do not bind property owners to accept incentives or improvements.
Board members emphasized the potential downstream effects for neighboring districts: if a TIF leads to significant redevelopment in adjacent districts (for example, converting golf-course land to housing), districts that cannot capture new-construction revenue within their tax base could face enrollment-driven capital pressures.
No final vote was taken by the District 58 board on the TIF itself; administration will continue negotiations with Woodridge and return to the board before the Jan. 7 joint review board meeting.