Duneland school superintendent talks referendum

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Updated: March 24, 2012 8:50AM

Duneland School Superintendent Dirk Baer took the Duneland School District tax referendum issue on the road Wednesday as guest speaker of the monthly Duneland Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The Duneland School Board recently approved a property tax increase referendum for the May primary to address a cumulative shortfall in revenue projected at $40 million through the year 2019. Duneland voters will be asked to increase property taxes by up to 22 cents per $100 assessed valuation for seven years.

Baer placed the problem squarely in the lap of the state. “In 2008 there was a shift in state policy toward school funding,” Baer said. The method of school funding was changed from local property tax to state distribution of income and sales tax.

The last three years have seen property taxes received by the school capped at $20 million, down from about $42 million collected in 2008, according to Baer.

State funding is determined by formula and is only partly based on the number of pupils in a school district. “Duneland has always fared poorly in state aid but has always been able to rely on local property taxes to supplement state aid,” Baer said. That is no longer the case.

“Duneland is in the bottom 5 percent of state support,” said Baer, noting the average funding per student across the state this year is $5,664 while Duneland received $4,971 per pupil. Duneland schools received $32 less per student this year compared with last year and there are fewer students in the district, further reducing revenue from the state.

“This is a decision the local taxpayer needs to make. We are prepared to make draconian cuts if necessary, but I don’t think anyone wants that,” said Baer.

Local business owner Laura Gerhardt was generally supportive of Baer but questioned whether all solutions have been adequately examined. “There has got to be a way to come up with a solution, but he didn’t address all the issues, such as teacher retirement,” said Gerhardt.