January 30, 2024 – Collinsville, IL – The Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 Board of Education has placed a zero-rate-change ballot initiative on the March 19, 2024 general primary election ballot to address critical facility needs throughout Collinsville CUSD 10.
The proposal will fund approximately $2.3 million annually in facility improvements and will not change the tax rate.
“Over the past year, we’ve conducted extensive evaluation of our district facilities with staff, architects and engineers to identify our most critical needs throughout our schools,” said CUSD 10 Superintendent Dr. Mark B. Skertich. “We also sought feedback from our community members through the Kahoks Connect engagement program. Together, with the information from all groups, a plan to improve our schools without changing the tax rate was developed, and is now on the March ballot.”
The plan calls for the district to replace exterior and interior doors to improve safety; upgrade heating and cooling systems to improve efficiency; renovate facilities to allow students, staff and community members with disabilities to have independent access throughout our district; and update dated and worn school interiors to improve the learning environment. If approved, the work will be completed at each school over a seven-year time frame.
The funding path, chosen by the Board of Education, will not change the tax rate. The school board has proposed a financial strategy known as a tax transfer, which involves reallocating existing funds without raising overall taxes.
Under the proposed funding plan, CUSD will retire debt from the early 2000s to provide funding for an increase in the district’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Fund rate from 50 cents to 72 cents. The money previously used to pay off facility improvement debt would be redirected to the O&M Fund.
Skertich explains by implementing this funding plan, the district can leverage existing resources efficiently to address CUSD needed improvements. “This allows the district to invest more resources in critical facility needs without incurring new debt or paying additional interest, as the total tax rate remains unchanged. Money generated by this proposal will go directly to facility improvements. In total, nearly $35 million in improvements over the next seven years will be made to district facilities with zero change to the tax rate.”
Learn More
For more information, including a complete list of identified work compiled through the Kahoks Connect community engagement process, visit the Ballot Initiative section on this website.