Lockport Township High School District 205 board brief: levy rises $3 million; half abated, homeowners see modest increase

The Lockport Township High School District 205 Board of Education summarized its annual property tax levy process at a Dec. 16, 2024 briefing in the Porter Room. Dr. Bob McBride, who delivered the boards meeting brief, said the levy is the districts most consequential annual request to the community and is due to the state in December.

McBride said township assessors in both Homer Township and Lockport Township will raise property valuations by about 9.5 percent, a change he said the school board cannot control. "Our school board has no control over the valuation of your home and the application of our tax rate to that increased value that drives that increase in your property taxes," he said.

On budget choices the board could influence, McBride said the district kept its proposed budget increase under 2 percent and worked to keep the levy increase below the Consumer Price Index. "We did have a $3,000,000 increase in the levy," he said. The board applied a debt-service abatement and "abated half of that increase back to you to discount the amount that you would pay," McBride added.

McBride said the districts tax rate is lower this year than last, calling it "the fifth lowest in the state of Illinois" and noting it is the second-lowest among 17 nearby high school districts. He estimated the districts share of the average homeowners tax bill would rise by about $80 in Lockport Township (about $40 per tax bill) and about $90 in Homer Township (about $45 per tax bill), attributing most of the change to higher assessed home values.

McBride framed rising home values as a community asset while acknowledging the impact on taxpayers: "It's likely a reflection of the kind of community you live in that has quality schools, quality parks, quality police, quality fire," he said, and added the board is "doing our homework here to make sure that your property taxes are something that you as a family can manage." The board did not announce specific final levy figures beyond the $3,000,000 increase and the abatement in this briefing.

The board reviewed routine policies and reports during the Dec. 16 meeting but highlighted the levy as the primary public-facing outcome of the annual budget cycle. The district said it will post office open days and related information on its website as the holiday break approaches. The levy is being prepared for submission to state authorities in December, consistent with the annual timetable described by McBride.