District 113 School Board OKs 3.4% tax increase, projects enrollment declines to continue

Township High School District 113 in Highland Park approved at its Dec. 9 board meeting a 2026 tax levy increase of 3.4%, the maximum allowed under state statute, to support the district’s operating budget.

State law limits the levy’s increase to 5% or the rate of inflation for non-home-rule taxing districts, including Township High School District 113 (Highland Park and Deerfield high schools).

In a budget document, the school district said the 3.4% increase was the applicable rate and is expected to add about $34 per $100,000 in assessed property valuation on the District 113 portion of property owners’ tax bills.

The School Board approved the tax levy unanimously and without discussion following a public hearing. No one from the public spoke at the hearing.

The levy will bring the district $117.5 million, or about 90% of the district’s projected $131 million budget for 2026, according to the budget documents. In 2025, the district’s projected annual expenditures through June 30 were $122.4 million, the district said.

Taxes collected for District 113 and 112 represent about 72% of a Highland Park property owner’s tax bill, the City of Highland Park said.

Of District 113’s fiscal 2026 budget, general education expenses represent $94.1 million, while special education requires an additional $2.3 million in expenditures. The budget will fund $16.5 million in operations and maintenance costs and $1.3 million in transportation expenses, the district said.

The district is tapping other local sources, including student fees, for about 5% of its budget. The district expects its state revenue to increase about 1.4% and its federal reimbursements to decrease about 32% in 2026, according to information presented at the Dec. 9 meeting.

Enrollment declines, stemming from demographic trends, have continued since 2021, with the district’s enrollment falling to 3,111 in 2025-’26 from 3,386 in 2021. Enrollment is projected to be at 3,071 next year, according to an October projection. Officials expect the number to continue to fall to 3,006 in 2027 and 2,925 in 2030 before picking up again.

The district’s 2026 budget includes 3% salary increases, despite a slight reduction in headcount of nine full-time-equivalent positions — from 646 to 637. About three licensed-staff positions are expected to be cut, the district said, while 5.5 full-time positions in non-bargaining groups will be eliminated.

An estimated 10% increase in health insurance premiums is contributing to higher benefit costs; though, the district said it switched to a different health plan to mitigate the increase.

Operating expenses, including utilities, transportation, security, supplies and professional development, are expected to increase about 5%, the district said.

Federal revenues the school district receives for certain special education reimbursements are expected to decline 32%, the district said.

Other news and notes

A capital improvement project involving roofing, paving, concrete sidewalk work and fencing has come in under budget at $5.9 million, down from a $6 million estimate presented at an Aug. 26 board meeting. The board approved a $2.4 million HVAC project to improve the air handling unit in the auditorium, dance studio and two wings. 

The board received 2030 and 2031 retirement requests of the following Highland Park High School staff members: applied arts teachers David Burke and Stacy Chambers; English teachers Paul Lusson, Elizabeth Perlman and Kathryn Zoloto; psychologist Gus Pappadimas and healing centered interventionist Melissa Zientara.

Ethan Polonsky, a student representative from Deerfield High School who serves in an advisory role to the board along with Sophie Moncivaiz of Highland Park High School’s student body, announced a record fundraising effort from November, resulting in $391,892 for the Hallie225 Foundation, a nonprofit named for Hallie Grossman and her Feb. 25 birthday. Grossman died of cancer at age 25 in 2023. She was raised in Deerfield. “This is the most in donations we have received ever in over 20 years,” Polonsky said at the board meeting. “It was an incredible month and an amazing way to end first semester.”

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