Kendall County Times

On March 17, Kendall, Kane and Will county residents will vote on a referendum on whether to increase the operating expenses for Oswego Community School District 308, which if passed could mean a property tax rate increase of 30 cents per every $100 of home value.

The same referendum was put on the ballot last April but failed. However, the margin of loss was less than 400 votes.

District 308 CFO Christi Tyler said reducing class sizes is a top priority.

CFO Christi Tyler | Oswego District 308

"Probably the biggest thing we hear from parents and teachers is about the amount of students they have in their classroom," Tyler recently told Patch.

In addition, Tyler said many school programs have been cut due to a lack of funding. Even now, more programs, such as athletics, could be on the block.

"If we don't want to impact classes anymore or impact students anymore, then we are [at the bone]... Probably the most immediate [effect of the referendum failing] would be the junior high sports for next year would become an intramural model as opposed to playing competitions against the other junior highs in our district," Tyler told Patch.

If the referendum passes, salaries of news teachers could get a needed boost.

“A teacher that is just hired right out of college, under the new contract [will make] $40,975... that same teacher right out of college, next year under the salary schedule, she... [will make] next year $43,860, because what happens is they get a step and then a new schedule," Tyler told Patch.

School District 308 has already approved an estimated $105 million tax levy for 2019, which is about 4.7 percent of the total Equalized Assessed Value of Kane, Kendall and Will counties.

Also on the March 17 ballot is a referendum to decide the fate of the Oswego Township Road District.