The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
A public hearing on the proposed Illini West High School property tax levy was held on Dec. 17, at the beginning of the school board’s regular December meeting. No public comments were offered.
The levy of $4,500,000 is a dollar amount that is requested for the FY26 budget. It is based on the estimated assessed property values in the district, applied to the current tax rate.
The actual property taxes extended for 2024 were $4,200,665, making the levy a 7.13 percent increase over last year.
In setting the levy request, Superintendent Jay Harnack, provided the following information on the amounts needed for each of the funds to operate the school:
The levy is an “ask,” Harnack noted in information to the board. However the district only receives the amount generated by the tax rate applied to the final assessed value of the district property.
Four of the six Illini West Illinois State Scholars were present to receive congratulations from the board: Grace Goettsche, Brennan Grotts, Paxton Morehouse, Jackson VanFleet, Jonah Zanolla, and Andy Zhang.
To be an Illinois State Scholar, seniors must have taken the SAT as a junior year. Selection is based upon their SAT score and class rank. Illinois State Scholars represent the top 10 percent of the state’s high school seniors.
In addition Jonah Zanolla was honored as a National Merit Scholarship semi-finalist, among the top 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors.
After closed session, the board approved hiring Kris Stevens as district secretary, Dawn Leroy as route bus driver, and Dalen Kruzan as custodian. The resignation of head football coach, Jacob Calvin, was accepted.
The board approved increasing the substitute teacher pay from $120 per day to $130. The district continues to have difficulties getting teachers. The increase should help the district be competitive with other schools in the region.
The board approved purchasing two units of temporary bleachers, three rows high, that can be set up on the stage for students during basketball games. They can be folded and moved to other locations as needed. The cost, including $1,100 in freight, is $5,094.
The bid for a split unit heating system in the new girls’ locker room was tabled to consider other providers, suggested at the meeting. The area that is now a locker room had been used previously as office space and storage, and did not have a complete system of ducts for heating.
An option to have two-hour delayed start for school in bad weather was approved by the board.
“We have had more than a few days where we have not had a learning day. It the morning conditions were dark and the plows had not been out, but by 10 o’clock we could have been in school,” Harnack said.
“It would make a possibility for us not to miss in-person learning. The real benefit is our student drivers can drive to school in daylight, and the plows have a chance to clear the roads.” The districts of the three schools feeding into Illini West High School would work to coordinate their schedules.
The 2026-27 course catalog was approved.