District 124 is an elementary school district comprised of five schools

Northeast Elementary School

Northwest Elementary School

Southeast Elementary School

Southwest Elementary School

Central Junior High School

The district also provides Title I, staff development and special education services for students in St. Bernadette, Most Holy Redeemer, Queen of Martyrs and St. John Fischer.

The district also provides the use of our facilities to the following groups:

Evergreen Park Recreation Department

Evergreen Park Girl Scouts

St. Bernadette P.A.A.

Brownie Troop #148

Evergreen Park Girls Softball League

Cub Scouts

Evergreen Park Boys Club

Queen of Martyrs Soccer Program

Evergreen Park Athletic Association

NSNS Volleyball and Basketball
 

The district is asking for a tax rate increase of $.71 in the Education Fund.
 

For a taxpayer with a property valued at $100,000 (not market value, see your tax bill for your property value) the impact would be an increase for District 124 of approximately $245 for the year, $20.50 per month, less than $0.70 per day.
 

The last increase in the Education Fund rate was in 1991 which raised the Education Levy amount to $2.79/$100 EAV. Due to the impact of the tax cap law, in 2002 District 124 was able to only levy $2.28/$100 EAV. Since their implementation, the tax cap laws have cost District 124 approximately $8 million in lost revenue.
 

Since the 2000-01 school year District 124 has been in deficit spending, the district’s expenses have been higher than its revenues. The District has funded the deficits by using its "savings" known as Working Cash. Without an education fund tax increase, the district will run out of its savings by the 2006-07 school year.

The District is projecting an operating deficit of approximately $2 million by the 2005-06 school year. These are the costs of running the schools on a day to day basis. Salaries and benefits for teachers, principals, aides, secretaries, supplies, special education services, daily maintenance of the buildings and many support services for our children such as social work, speech language, nursing and food services.
 

Before the decision to ask the voters for a tax increase was finalized, the Board of Education asked for volunteers from parents, community members, business owners and district administrators to analyze the District’s budget reviewing each line item.

The volunteers broke up into five working groups scrutinizing all expenditures. The Board of Education asked the committees to reduce their portions of the budget by 5%. The committees brought back reductions of 5.21% or approximately $827,000, less than half of the operating deficit. Many of these reductions, while they may be necessary in the future, were not recommended by the committees.

The committees found that there was very little that could be reduced from the budget that did not directly impact the programs and services for the children of Evergreen Park. Their reductions included the reduction of 8 certified staff members, the reduction of 4 non-certified staff members and the elimination of extra curricular activities such as chorus, student council, after school help etc.

Please note that these were suggestions, they were not approved by the Board. This is an EXAMPLE of the kind of cuts that would have to be made in order to make up less than half of the budget deficit.

It is the Board of Education’s desire to avoid dramatic cuts and with a successful referendum this is possible. Therefore, the Board of Education, supported by the committees, determined that the best course of action for the children of Evergreen Park was to ask the taxpayers for an Education Fund increase.
 

Since 1998 the District has had several Building Committees who looked at the growing student population and the need to address overcrowding that existed in each building in the District.

Currently, there are temporary classrooms at each of the elementary buildings. Art and music programs do not have their own classrooms requiring these teachers to travel to each homeroom classroom. Since the last referendum in 1991 the District has seen an increase of over 500 students. The Board of Education approved additions and renovations to Southwest Elementary School and Central Junior High School to help relieve overcrowding in all areas of the District.

Additional classrooms at Southwest School allow for programs to be moved providing additional space in each elementary building. The library addition and science room renovation provided additional classroom spaces at Central Junior High School. Also, the District had several storage problems and the new Maintenance Facility provided much needed garage and warehouse space for the District.
 

The construction projects were funded through the sale of $3,500,000 bonds and $1,500,000 in state construction grant dollars.

The bonds are paid off using the District’s Bond & Interest Fund. By refunding the District's existing debt and extending out the payment schedule the construction was done with no tax levy increase to the property owners. At this time the District’s bond indebtedness is scheduled to be paid off by 2018.

These dollars are separate from the District’s on going operating funds and did not effect the need for additional operating dollars.
 

The Board of Education and District Administration will strive to maintain reasonable class sizes, continue support services such as social work, nursing services, and gifted education and continue to provide technology education, art and music.
 

"Shall the maximum annual tax rate for educational purposes of Evergreen Park Elementary School District Number 124, County of Cook, State of Illinois, be increased and established at 3.50 percent on the full, fair cash value of taxable property as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue instead of 2.79 percent, the maximum rate otherwise applicable to the next taxes to be extended for said purposes? Yes No "
 

Any registered voter living in the Village of Evergreen Park.
 

1. Call (312) 603-0944. The County Clerk will mail you an absentee voter application form to sign. Upon receipt of the absentee voter application form, the ballot will be mailed to you.
2. You may also pick up an absentee ballot at the Evergreen Park Village Hall.

The secretaries at all of the district schools are able to register suburban Cook County residents to vote. You can also register at the District Office at 9400 S. Sawyer Avenue and at the Village Hall. The last day to register to vote for the March 16, 2004 election is Tuesday, February 17, 2004. Please bring two (2) pieces of identification, one piece must have a current address.
 

Tuesday, March 16, 2004. Polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m.