“Did
You Know?” In the past, there
have been concerns brought to and shared with the Board of Education regarding
the inequity of employee compensation as compared to other suburban areas. Over the past several years, District 13 has
been more than competitive in raising the salaries of its employees. From 2013 to 2017, salaries in District 13
have increased 21% as compared with 11.2% in the private sector and 10.4% among
educational employees nationwide. This
is despite a property tax cap, which limits the amount the district can tax
residents and businesses annually.
Bloomingdale School District 13 depends on local property taxes, as they
make up 89% of the total operating revenue received each year. During the same period of time mentioned earlier
for the salary increases, Bloomingdale School District 13 was able to increase
tax revenue only 6.8%. Engaging in
competitive bidding to lower service costs, changes in investment practices,
and existing fund balances have helped maintain the level of service community
members have come to expect and rely on from District 13 during that time.