The Hound's Wildwood correspondents were all a flutter the other day after receiving a flier from Warren Township High School District 121 entitled "A Window to Warren". From what they gave The Hound, it looks like a window to a future building bond referendum or educational fund tax hike.
The four-page flier had headlines such as "Where enrollment is heading", "How we compare", "Questions about growth", "What we have done to save money", "Which campus is bigger?", "O'Plaine vs. Almond --- The Myth", "Addressing growth in student enrollment" and "Almond Campus needs". The Hound had to agree with those Wildwood folks: Smells like some sort of tax increase coming down the pike sooner and not later.
One would think that with gasoline rising faster than the Des Plaines River in flood stage, and those prices effecting everything Warren Township residents purchase, from milk and eggs at Jewel and Dominick's to clothing at Gurnee Mills, this isn't a good time for a referendum. But superintendents are always fond of saying there is never the right time to ask taxpayers to vote to tax themselves.
If The Hound had to guess, the most likely scenario for a referendum would be during the primary election in February 2009. With a Waukegan primary scheduled and Warren taking in the far northwest and west portions of Waukegan, that would give school officials the legal venue to hold a referendum. The strategy is that outside of Waukegan, most Warren Township voters won't be paying attention to a tax hike proposal on the ballot.
Nobody wants to hold a referendum in November of a presidential election year because of the large turnout expected. With the McCain-Obama contest a barnburner, The Hound expects turnout to be high. Therefore, February '09 looks the best time and not April '09, which has township, muncipal, park and school elections.
So, for all you Warren Township High taxpayers, get ready to receive some more "A Window to Warren" fliers detailing increasing enrollment, how District 121 has one of the lowest tax rates in the area and the lowest per pupil operating cost for its two campuses, one for freshmen and sophomores, the other for juniors and seniors.
Wonder if the district has considered making each campus a four-year school? But then, what would that do to the fine Warren athletic programs?
