Peotone School Board Approves Tentative Tax Levy, Advances $4.9M Bond Issuance

Peotone School Board Meeting | November 17, 2025

Article Summary:
The Peotone School District 207-U Board of Education on Monday, November 17, 2025, approved a tentative $15.66 million tax levy and voted to move forward with issuing up to $4.965 million in working cash bonds to fund the current budget.

Tax Levy and Bonds Key Points:

• The board approved the tentative 2025 tax levy, which is scheduled for formal adoption on December 15.

• The board voted 5-1-1 to declare its intent to issue up to $4.965 million in working cash bonds, with one member voting no and one abstaining.

• A public hearing regarding the bond sale is now scheduled for the December 15 board meeting.

• The financial actions are based on a projected 11.85% increase in the district’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV).

PEOTONE, IL — The Peotone School District 207-U Board of Education took two significant financial steps on Monday, November 17, 2025, approving its tentative 2025 property tax levy and advancing a plan to issue nearly $5 million in working cash bonds.

The board unanimously approved a tentative tax levy request of $15,657,873. Business Manager Adrian Fulgencio explained that this “balloon levy” is a standard practice to ensure the district captures all available revenue based on final property values. The district anticipates receiving an extension of approximately $15.46 million, factoring in a 2.9% Consumer Price Index increase and a projected 11.85% rise in Equalized Assessed Value (EAV). The final levy is scheduled for adoption at the December 15 meeting.

In a more contentious move, the board voted 5-1-1 to approve a resolution declaring its intent to issue up to $4,965,000 in working cash fund bonds. Trustee Ashley Stachniak voted against the measure, and newly sworn-in Trustee Robert Janeliunas abstained. The board then voted 6-1, with Stachniak again dissenting, to schedule a public hearing on the matter for its December 15 meeting.

The bonds are intended to provide the district with operating funds for the current budget.

Before the vote, Trustee Jennifer Moe, who has been critical of issuing working cash bonds in the past, explained her vote in favor. “I did vote in favor of the last budget, and so it’s my individual duty to fund that budget,” Moe said. “I believe that to fund it right now, this is definitely the right move for right now.”

Following the board’s declaration, the public has a 30-day period to file a petition signed by at least 794 registered voters (10% of the district’s total) to force the bond issue onto the ballot for a public referendum. If no such petition is filed, the board will be authorized to issue the bonds.