Publication Date

2003

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Johnson, Donald R., 1941-

Degree Name

Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)

Legacy Department

Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations

LCSH

Public schools--Illinois--Cook County--Finance; Public schools--Illinois--Du Page County--Finance; Public schools--Illinois--Kane County--Finance; Public schools--Illinois--Lake County--Finance; Public schools--Illinois--McHenry County--Finance; Public schools--Illinois--Will County--Finance

Abstract

The effects of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law upon Illinois public school districts located in suburban Cook County and the collar counties of DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will were studied in this dissertation. Illinois public school districts in the collar counties and in Cook County were compared and analyzed to examine how they dealt with the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the years 1990–2001. The issues examined were operating tax rates, bonded debt, equalized assessed valuations, financial positions, demographic problems, and the perceptions of school business leaders. An analysis of operating tax rates from fiscal years 1990–2001 found that the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law had a negative effect on school districts' ability to attain their legal rates in the collar counties and Cook County. A significant difference was found between the collar counties and suburban Cook County school districts. An analysis of bonded debt from fiscal years 1991–2001 showed school districts in the collar counties and Cook County were significantly higher in bonded debt after the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law than before. An analysis of the Illinois State Board of Education's Financial Profile System showed that the financial position of school districts in Cook County was worse than the collar counties by fiscal year 2001–2002. Some demographic areas were impacted more than others. A self-designed survey measured financial information provided by the school districts and perceptions of school business leaders. School business leaders perceived that the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law has adversely affected the way school districts operate. School business officials perceived that the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law was the direct cause of shrinking cash reserves, budget cuts, decreased funding, an increase of tax rate referenda, and eroding operating tax rates in their school districts. Both the financial information provided by the school districts and the Financial Profile System of the Illinois State Board of Education supported the perceptions of the school business leaders that current financial difficulties experienced by school districts in Cook County and the collar counties are due to the effects of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references (pages [134]-136)

Extent

ix, 151 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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