South Cook News

Seventeen school districts in southern Cook County are eligible to receive Property Tax Relief Grants, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) announced today.

The districts include: Argo Community High School District 217, Bloom Township High School District 206, Bremen Community High School District 228, Community High School District 218, Dolton School District 148, Elementary School District 159, Evergreen Park Community High School District 231, Ford Heights School District 169, Gen. George Patton School District 133, Homewood Flossmoor Community High School District 233, Lansing School District 158, Oak Lawn Community High School District 229, Park Forest School District 163, Reavis Township High School District 220, Rich Township High School District 227, Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215 and Thornton Township High School District 205. 

To receive the grant, the districts must submit an abatement resolution reducing property taxes to the Cook County clerk and the ISBE by March 30.  

In all, 28 Illinois school districts are eligible to receive the grants, which are expected to bring homeowners across the state approximately $56.9 million in property tax relief, the ISBE said.  

“Shifting more of the responsibility for education funding to the state makes our system fairer and more equitable,” State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith said in a statement. “Local property wealth should not determine the educational resources available to a child. The Property Tax Relief Grant takes a critical step toward uplifting families and communities.”

The grant money is part of the minimum $350 million appropriated by lawmakers to the state’s schools under the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) each year. It will cover local property tax reductions up to the statutory limit and will be part of the district’s future EBF Base Funding Minimum.

In its first year of implementation, 373 districts applied for the Property Tax Relief Grants. The grant is awarded to those districts with the highest unit equivalent tax rate compared to all the districts that apply.

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Districts Eligible for the FY2019 Property Tax Relief Grant

District	County
Antioch Community High School District 117	Lake County
Argo Community High School District 217	Cook County
Bloom Township High School District 206	Cook County
Bremen Community High School District 228	Cook County
Community High School District 218	Cook County
Dolton School District 148	Cook County
Elementary School District 159	Cook County
Evergreen Park Community High School District 231	Cook County
Ford Heights School District 169	Cook County
Gen. George Patton School District 133	Cook County
Grayslake Community High School District 127	Lake County
Homewood Flossmoor Community High School District 233	Cook County
Lansing School District 158	Cook County
Leyden Community High School District 212	Cook County
Oak Lawn Community High School District 229	Cook County
Oak Park & River Forest District 200	Cook County
Ohio Community High School District 505	Bureau County
Park Forest School District 163	Cook County
Rantoul Township High School District 193	Champaign
Reavis Township High School District 220	Cook County
Rich Township High School District 227	Cook County
Rock Falls Township High School District 301	Whiteside County
St. Anne Community High School District 302	Kankakee County
Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215	Cook County
Thornton Township High School District 205	Cook County
Township High School District 211	Cook County
Zion Elementary School District 6	Lake County
Zion-Benton Township High School District 126	Lake County

Source: Illinois State Board of Education