The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, Quill correspondent
The Illini West High School board approved the 2022 tax levy request for local property taxes. At their meeting Dec. 21, the board held a Truth in Taxation hearing on the proposed levy.
The property taxes extended for 2021 were $3,119,777. The property taxes requested in this year’s levy are $3,694,000, based on the amount estimated as necessary for next year’s budget.
Superintendent Jay Harnack noted that the levy request document must be filed with the County Clerk by Dec. 27.
“The tax levy is how we request our taxes to be collected by the counties,” said board president John Huston. “This is our opportunity to make sure our budget is good for next year.”
The actual amount of tax revenues received from taxes is often not the same as the amount the district levy requests, since the estimated assessed value (EAV) of the property in the district is not yet known. If the district levy is less than what the legal tax rate will generate with the new EAV, the district will get only the levy amount and not the full amount possible by the legal rate. The school district gets about 65 percent of its funds from local tax money.
Following executive session, the board approved hiring Sarah Salsman as district secretary. Christine Murphy was approved as boys and girls golf head coach; Dakota Lafferty was approved as volleyball head coach; and Ryan Bliss was approved as boys and girls cross country head coach.
Resignations were approved for Kailea Blake as district secretary and Michael Brannick as custodian.
In his report, Superintendent Harnack noted that the sales tax referendum to benefit schools had been accepted by all school districts in the county, and it has been filed with the county clerk for the April 4 2023, election.
The superintendents from Illini West, Carthage Elementary, Dallas Elementary, and La Harpe Elementary will meet the first week of January to discuss aligning annual school calendars.
Director of Student Services, Grant Suprenant, reported that attendance for the 18 school days in November was 9th grade, 87 percent; 10th grade, 89 percent; 11th grade, 73 percent; and 12th grade, 76 percent. A counselor saw 28 students during November.
The 2023-2024 course catalog was approved, containing minor changes in wording of course titles and descriptions.
In other business, the board: