Voters in Glenview School District 34 soundly rejected a ballot measure in the Nov. 5 election to increase the operating rate, and thus increase property taxes, that officials said would help fund operational expenses like educational programs, transportation and district employees’ salaries, based on unofficial election results Wednesday morning.
According to the unofficial vote total reported by the Cook County Clerk’s office, 10,427 people voted against the referendum and 8,384 voted for it, a difference of 55.4% to 44.6%.
Before the vote, officials said district leaders would have to consider cutting non-mandated programs like music, art, gym and extracurricular activities for the 2027 school year if the measure were to fail.
In a message to the community Wednesday morning, District 34 Superintendent Dave Delli said the result will require the district to make some difficult choices in the months ahead to address the budgetary shortfall.
“While the outcome is not what we had hoped for, we respect the community’s decision and are grateful to everyone who took the time to engage in the process and voice their opinion,” Delli
said. “We know that the future of our children and our schools is a shared responsibility, and we will need your continued support as we navigate these challenges together.”
Currently, the district has $88.6 million in expenses and it collects $90.9 million in revenue, but officials project by the 2027 school year the district will operate at a $400,000 loss, and the deficits will continue to worsen as the years go on, according to its website.
Glenview School District 34 School Board President Scott Nelson said Wednesday the outcome reflects the diverse perspectives in the district community.
“Although the referendum did not succeed, we remain dedicated to serving this community and working together to ensure the best possible future for our children,” Nelson said. “We will
continue to seek the community’s input as we navigate the path forward.”
Glenview School District 34 is the largest of five Northbrook and Glenview area districts that feed into Glenbrook High School District 225. District 34 serves 4,281 students in grades
pre-K to 8, in eight schools, according to state data.
Glenview District 34 leaders have twice before, though more than 20 years ago, asked voters to approve tax increases to shore up the operating budget in 2000 and 2001. Both of those asks were also unsuccessful.
In 2020, a $119 million district ballot measure to renovate district school buildings and add full-day kindergarten service was approved by voters.
