As the presumptive future home of the Chicago Bears, the northwest suburbs continue to find themselves in the spotlight, garnering more attention than folks in that area are typically accustomed to getting. As the Bears push for things like property tax certainty to make their move as cost-effective as possible, area homeowners are wishing they could get the same thing.
Instead, they’re concerned major hikes could be on the horizon, as Township High School District 214 flirts with a potential referendum that could raise as much as $850 million.
We think the district, which serves Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, Buffalo Grove, Wheeling, Rolling Meadows and Elk Grove Village, must first ensure its own house is in order.
Officials recently launched an independent audit of its purchasing-card system after a district employee allegedly used his district credit card to make more than $37,000 in unauthorized Home Depot purchases, the Daily Herald reported. That employee, Jorge V. Villagómez, was the former building and grounds supervisor at Prospect High School. He was charged Oct. 3.
Now the district has to make sure there aren’t any other issues. The $45,000 audit, conducted by the law firm of Baker Tilly, will examine purchases made using 91 district-issued cards, with results and a proposed plan of action expected in early 2026.
We like financial responsibility, and we appreciate when public officials demand accountability when something goes wrong. So we applaud the district’s efforts to ensure there’s no other abuse occurring — and taxpayers can take some comfort in knowing this recent loss will be covered by insurance.
That reassurance won’t erase residents’ concerns about what comes next, though.
A significant referendum would mean annual property tax bills would rise by hundreds of dollars — a prospect that drew little enthusiasm in the district’s own feedback process. It appears the district may be scaling back any potential referendum request as a result.
District 214 officials have been asking residents to share their thoughts on these proposals, and unsurprisingly received word that residents want a more cost-conscious plan. Given three options — a low-, medium- and high-end amount — respondents opted for the lowest figure offered, a referendum to raise $400 million that district officials said would add $198 in property taxes for a home worth $396,500. Nearly a quarter of respondents said they wouldn’t support any additional funding. We recognize that district facilities have maintenance needs, but we can’t imagine asking voters to approve anything more than $400 million, and we’d prefer to see any proposal come in well under that amount.
District 214 includes schools like Prospect High School, John Hersey High School and Buffalo Grove High School, which find themselves on the top of the list for high-performing secondary schools in the state. Like many districts across Illinois, however, 214’s enrollment is declining, with its student population dropping by nearly 300 since 2018, according to state data. We would hope any renovation proposals would take that into account.
All things considered, we understand that safe, functional school buildings are an essential part of our education system. Nobody questions that, and residents certainly want kids to have what they need. The problem is in the disconnect between the eye-popping tax bills homeowners are already paying and district officials telling them it needs more revenue.
Findings from the district’s audit should give taxpayers clarity on its employee credit card accountability long before they’re asked to weigh in on any potential referendum. We hope that those in charge don’t pursue a plan that would price out the families who’ve long called the northwest suburbs home.
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