Long-awaited City-School TIF Agreement Slated for School Board Approval Monday

An intergovernmental agreement between Elmhurst District 205 and the City of Elmhurst regarding the city's new North York Road tax increment financing district is slated for School Board approval Tuesday night.

The School Board will hold a workshop Tuesday to entertain public comments and discuss the proposed agreement, which lays out how TIF surplus will be distributed to the School District in the future. The highlights of the agreement include the following:

• In the 11th year of TIF 4, 10 percent of the tax increment will be declared surplus and distributed to the school and park districts.
• Churchville and Conrad Fischer, which are included in TIF 4, will receive an amount not to exceed $6 million over the term of TIF 4.
• The city shall declare a surplus in the Lake Street TIF (2) of $1.5 million, of which $1 million will go to the School District

School and city officials have been discussing the agreement since last summer.

Later in the meeting, the board will be asked to vote on the TIF agreement as presented.

In Addition to TIF ...

The School Board meeting will begin with something much different: student recognition.

• York business students Jakob Gratzianna, Eric Hoff, Zaccaria Miller, Niki Passaris and Jack Polte placed second out of 451 teams in the 2012-13 Econ Illinois Stock Market Game.
• York High School Girls Tennis Coach Tres Heimann was named Coach of the Year for 2012 by the Illinois High School Tennis Coaches Association.

The board will also hear a report on school staffing projections for next school year based on recommendations and assumptions about the 2013-14 budget presented in January.

Also as part of the superintendent's report, board members will hear an update on student fees for next year and a report on the 2014 budget.

Three of the district's standing committees will then present a recap of their most recent meetings. The board will hear from the Board Improvement and Policy Committee, the Curriculum and Instruction Committee, and the Finance and Operations Committee.

Board members will then vote on the superintendent's consent agenda. In addition to financial and personnel reports, the board will vote to approve:

• beginning the fiscal year 2014 budget process
• the TIF agreement with the city of Elmhurst
• $27,000 in Thiems instructional grants, which are mainly focused this year on science, technology, engineering and math, as well as literacy initiatives
• donations of $22,500 for each middle school for a NOVA5000 data logger that will be used in the middle school science and math curriculum
• donation to Conrad Fischer School of $1,000 from Maryann Wagner of Bend, Ore., to Principal Jane Bailey to use as she sees fit. Wagner already has donated $500 a month for six months to the school.
• donation of about $16,000 in labor and materials from Erwin Steinhabel and Sons landscaping company, Elmhurst, to construct a new outdoor classroom at Jackson Elementary
• purchase of a nine-passenger van from Mobility Works in Villa Park for $32,000
• purchase of a wheelchair minivan from Mobility Works for $31,000
• York High School's membership in the Illinois High School Association

Board members will then review upcoming meetings and hear any reports.

When and Where

The School Board meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, immediately following a closed session to discuss employment of an employee. The meeting will be held at the District 205 Administration Center, 162 S. York St. Public comment will be welcome; members of the public are invited to speak for up to three minutes on any topic.