No Appetite For LTHS Tax Hike – At Least For Now
LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School board members said this week they had no interest in putting a property tax increase before voters – at least for the time being.
They said they wanted to first explore other income sources, particularly selling the school’s 70 acres in Willow Springs.
The school has enough money for its building projects this year and next, expected to cost about $40 million. That’s largely thanks to bond debt.
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But the school has no source to pay for $85 million to $100 million in work as part of a second phase.
“I don’t have an appetite for any kind of referendum,” board member Michael Thomas said at Tuesday’s meeting. “If we are looking for additional funds, the first thing that needs to be looked at is the (Willow Springs) property before going to the public for any kind of referendum.”
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Board member Tim Albores agreed.
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“I think we have to exhaust all options internally first, and at that point, we can re-evaluate what we still need to get done and how much that’s going to cost,” said Albores, who was connected to the meeting by phone.
In January 2023, Bridge Industrial bid $55 million on the Willow Springs land. Bridge was planning an industrial operation, contrary to the village’s zoning.
Willow Springs made clear the zoning would stay. Still, the school’s lawyer advised the board it could prevail. (The board later replaced him.)
After a couple of months, the board abandoned its effort in the face of opposition.
Earlier this year, Atlanta-based Pulte Group offered nearly $19 million for the wooded land, planning houses and townhomes. Housing and small retailers are allowable uses.
During Tuesday’s board meeting, members said they needed more information before deciding on a referendum.
“Let’s try to figure out how many bananas we have, and then we can decide how far we have to take the conversation,” board President Jill Grech said.
The way it’s looking now, member Jill Beda Daniels said, “we’re not going to have enough bananas.”
Board member Elvia Nava questioned whether all the second phase work was a must.
Thomas replied, “There are different opinions, but I don’t think it’s a must.”
Superintendent Brian Waterman said it depended on how board members defined “must.” The second phase, he said, includes modernization of the 80 percent of classrooms that the first phase excluded. He also said the school has yet to add air conditioning to the North Campus’ Vaughan Building.
Last month, school officials met with their counterparts from the village of Willow Springs. The board is trying to heal the rift that occurred when the school tried to keep Willow Springs out of the loop in the backroom dealings with Bridge Industrial.
At Tuesday’s meeting, school board members generally agreed to have similar meetings with officials from Pleasantdale School District 107, Pleasant Dale Park District and local emergency services.
Member Paula Struwing, a Willow Springs resident, did not attend Tuesday’s meeting.
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