Big Hollow Referendum

NOTE: Phil Carter the co-chair of the Big Hollow Referendum committee asked me to publish this on the blog. This in no way constitutes my endorsement one way or another of the referendum. I will say I have been terribly impressed by the energy, commitment and vision Phil brings to the process. For more information you can go to the citizens support group here at www.supportbighollow.org.

The Big Hollow Referendum: A Good Investment

The Big Hollow School District is asking the community to approve a $10-million working cash bond on February 5th. The local residents and businesses are rallying behind this referendum for the following reasons:

• It addresses a real district need. Big Hollow currently ranks last in instructional expenditures per student, next to last in operational expenditures per student, has the highest average class size in Lake County, and has cut art, music, and computer programs. In addition, the District had the 3^rd largest drop in State testing results (ISAT) from ’06 to ’07 in the county. These trends in the learning environment and academic performance represent a stark contrast to the historical strength of Big Hollow’s educational values.
  
• It is affordable. While still a significant financial commitment to be sure, the working cash bond currently offered by the District represents a reasonable investment. Out-of-pocket cost to most homeowners (median home price of $280k taking standard deductions) is around $32 per month. The working cash bond retains all the State aid given to the school and would be immediately available to pay off the District debt (~$3.3M). This maximizes the value of bond revenue to the district.
  
• It will make a huge impact. Restoring basic art, music, and computer programs in the ‘08-’09 school year will have an immediate, positive effect on the daily lives of 1,500 school children. In addition, reducing class sizes (some projected over 40 students) to more acceptable levels will clearly improve teacher-student contact time essential for learning. Finally, the Big Hollow Community regains the benefits and reputation associated with a quality school system.
  

The well-documented explosive growth in enrollment at Big Hollow coupled with the education-funding formula in Illinois clearly puts a disproportionate financial burden on local property owners (greater than 75% of school funding from local property taxes). The combination of tax-cap legislation (PTELL) and underfunded, government-mandated programs highlight deficiencies in educational funding especially in areas of proliferating enrollment. Nonetheless, these are the circumstances and challenges facing the Big Hollow Community that must be overcome to provide a reasonable educational opportunity to the children.

For its part, the District has managed its per-pupil expenses to the lowest in Lake County, slashed services, cut programs, and sold its property on Rt.12 (contract pending) for $5M. The anticipated proceeds from the sale, while helpful, will be insufficient to handle all the operational needs and will miss the near-term timing requirements for the next school year. Big Hollow has a track record for effectively managing voter-approved building bond referenda on-time and within budget. This same fiscal responsibility and commitment will ensure proper utilization of any approved funds for district operations.

While these are challenging economic times, I urge even more residents to look at the tax increase for what it really is: An opportunity to invest in the community and restore a measure of quality to Big Hollow’s longstanding tradition of strong educational values. On February 5^th, let’s get the school and community back on track by voting YES. For more detailed information, please visit http://www.supportbighollow.org.