Rockford Public School District urges voters to approve two levies on Nov. 4 to avert deep classroom cuts

A presenter for ROCKFORD PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT urged residents to vote Nov. 4 to approve two levy questions that the district says are needed to avoid multimillion-dollar deficits and cuts to classroom staff and student programming.

The district asked voters to approve Question 1, a $633-per-pupil operating levy that the presenter said would raise just over $1 million a year, and Question 2, a separate measure for infrastructure, safety and security that can pass only if Question 1 is approved. "We really do have a revenue problem and not a spending problem," the presenter said, adding that roughly 75% of every dollar now goes directly to the classroom.

The presentation laid out the district's fiscal picture: a building bond passed in 2012 that currently is the largest tax burden on homeowners (about $63 per month, $756 per year) will expire after tax-payable 2028, while other obligations remain. The presenter said the district borrowed against future state aid to pay urgent repairs — including work to an elementary-school roof — and is repaying about $320,000 annually on that debt through 2039.

Fiscal projections shown to residents included a $535,000 surplus in a previous year, followed by a purposely adopted $405,000 deficit budget intended to postpone cuts. The presenter said that without additional revenue the district faces a deficit of roughly $800,000 in 2026–27 and about $1.3 million in 2027–28, and that continuing the status quo would produce over $2 million in cuts across two years. "That $2,000,000 is the equivalent of roughly 20 to 25 teachers," the presenter said.

The presenter warned that, should voters reject the ballot questions, the district would likely need to reduce staffing and programs: middle-school activities could be cut or shifted to participant fees, concurrent-enrollment college-credit opportunities that the district pays for — which the presenter said saved Rockford families nearly $2 million in recent years — could be at risk, and class sizes would increase.

The presenter provided tax-examples and a tool for homeowners: using the district's online tax calculator, a $400,000 home was estimated to pay about $17 a month for Question 1 and about $4 a month for Question 2 (about $21 per month, or roughly $251 annually). The presenter said current operating levies provide roughly $1.1 million annually and expire in 2032; an abatement bond passed in 2022 costs the average homeowner about $5 a month and will expire in 2038.

The presenter encouraged residents to review the district's BOLT 2025 materials and tax calculator on the district website and to contact the district office with questions. "Please become informed and please cast your vote on or before Nov. 4," the presenter said.

The ballot is scheduled for Nov. 4; Question 1 is the operating levy and must pass for Question 2 to become effective. The district presentation did not announce any formal board action at the meeting itself; it provided information and a public request for voter support.