Consolidation a 'Possibility,' According to Dist. 159 Superintendent

With 27 days left until the election, Mokena School District 159 administrators are attempting to circulate as much information as possible about the referendum to increase the property tax by 29 cents per $100 assessed value that will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot.

In recent weeks, the district has scheduled informational meetings with civic groups and town hall meetings, while a committee to support the referendum has reached out to the community in person and via the Internet.

So when a Mokena resident asked Supt. Karen Perry at Wednesday's town hall meeting why there were only 25 people in attendance instead of 100, Perry shook her head and said, "If I had the answer to that, I'd be a millionaire."

The town hall meeting at Mokena Elementary School saw only a few new faces and was largely attended by district teachers, administrators and referendum committee members. Tom Nolan, the committee chair and a former school board member, said he hoped the reason for the noticeable absence of community members was that they had already been informed of the issues.

"I hope it's not a sign of apathy," Nolan said. "I hope it's a sign of resolve."

Prior to a question-and-answer session Wednesday, Perry addressed the school's financial situation. The district has seen a 70 percent reduction in state funding over the past five years, Perry said, and has made $2.7 million in cuts to administration, office staff, full-day kindergarten and extracurricular activities (now privately funded) to reduce the deficit, which now stands at $2.7 million.

"We have cut and cut to the point where further cuts will not get us back to our motto — that children are our first priority," Perry said. 

Perry said consolidation with a neighboring district, such as Summit Hill, is a possibility if the referendum does not pass, but in that case, the property tax rate would increase well beyond 29 cents. The current property tax rate in Mokena 159 is $2.13 per $100 assessed value; in Summit Hill, it's $3.02, according to Perry.

"We're better off financially to support the referendum than to consolidate," Perry said.

Joe Spalla, whose daughter is in the fifth grade at Mokena Intermediate School, said he supports the referendum but thinks consolidation is an acceptable step if the referendum does not pass. 

"If we put our children first, why take it down a path where transportation gets cut, where you're closing schools, where you've got more than 30 kids in the classroom?" Spalla asked. "I'd rather pay 29 cents than more, but I'd rather my daughter have a good education than a deficient one."

The next town hall meeting is scheduled to be held at Mokena Junior High School on Oct. 12 at 7:30 p.m.