On Wednesday night, District 87, which oversees Bloomington public schools, brought home a report card of its own.
Illinois releases a State Report Card on the performance of schools in the state each year, and identifies which will receive funding for improvement.
Presenting the report’s findings to District 87’s board was assistant superintendent Nicole Rummel. The discussion featured a number of positive highlights, from the district’s consistently strong attendance rate to high achievement among students who learned English as a Second Language [ESL]. Of the eight district schools given an overall designation, six were rated “commendable” or better by the state.
The district also has its challenges.
For one, the report puts District 87’s dropout rate at 6.4%, the highest it’s been since 2020 at the height the COVID-19 pandemic. Rummel thinks the pandemic could be contributing to the recent spike, too, as students who fell behind during junior high online learning enter high school.
“They come to the high school, they have some bad habits they need to break,” said Rummel, adding, “Once a student gets behind in credit, it’s really hard for them to get caught up and get back on track.”
The state’s average dropout rate did not see the same increase, sitting at 2.7% — less than half that of District 87. Rummel said staff and resources have been reallocated to better support incoming freshmen.
Two schools were identified as needing improvement — Sheridan Elementary and Bent Elementary. Those schools are composed of 88% and 71% students from low-income backgrounds, respectively, which Rummel said is a big part of their challenges.
“Poverty continues to be one of the biggest challenges that we face,” she said. “What we’re seeing is that our families love their kids and they want what’s best for them, but the struggles that our families are facing sometimes put a little more on the school.”
There is a D-87 school that features a strong majority of low-income students, at 80%, but a favorable rating in the report — Irving Elementary. Rummel said Irving differs in its large staff of experienced teachers, whereas Bent and Sheridan have fewer experienced teachers and more trouble retaining them.
The first year a school is flagged for improvement on the state report, additional funding for teachers’ planning is provided. If flagged for multiple years, the funds can be used more broadly. Rummel said academic intervention staff to help struggling students and expanding tutoring availability are examples of District 87 putting that funding to work.
District advances tax levy resolution
In another matter, the school board sent forward the property tax levy proposal with a unanimous vote. The levy will increase from a little under $52 million to about $55.6 million. Taxable property values [EAVs] have increased such that the actual tax rate will decrease, but homeowners will pay a bit more. A $200,000 house will be taxed about $47 more in 2025 than the year before.
The district will receive the 2024 levy’s funds in the spring. Chief Financial and Facilities Officer Michael Cornale said the district prioritizes a slowly increasing levy to maintain a consistent tax rate, adding the increased funds will help pay the district’s debts.
“We try to keep it very consistent,” Cornale said of the property tax rate. “We need to fund our debt service, our bonds and interest, we need to fund that, obviously, to pay our responsibilities.”
The next stage for the levy resolution is a public hearing in December.
Superintendent hopes district will consider sales tax
District 87 also echoed neighboring Unit 5 in discussing the idea of a sales tax to capture more funding for education. Superintendent David Mouser said he hopes the district will consider advancing the idea.
The Illinois County Schools Facility Sales Tax is a 1% sales tax that applies to items like food in restaurants, online shopping and other retail purchases. Exemptions would include over-the-counter drugs, groceries, vehicle purchases, and farming essentials.
According to Mouser, one benefit of the sales tax would be relieving the burden of property tax as EAVs have risen steadily, while allowing District 87 a new source of funding for safety and mental health services. Mouser also pointed out the tax would raise money from visitors to the area, drawing in more revenue.
“There is a desire to be able to lower property taxes,” Mouser said. “And one way to do that is to broaden the tax base.”
If the district advances the proposal in the next meeting, it could be on the ballot in April’s consolidated election, when voters would decide its fate.
