Trebor Wilmot district asks Salem Lakes voters to approve four-year referendum starting April 7

Representatives of the Trebor Wilmot school district presented to the Salem Lakes Village Board seeking support for a four-year, nonrecurring referendum to appear on the April 7 ballot.

The district’s presenter (identified in the record as the school board president) explained that state funding has not kept pace with inflation and that special-education aid has fallen substantially since the 1980s. The presenter said the district expected lower-than-anticipated state reimbursements this year — citing an anticipated special-education share that was reduced from an earlier 42% estimate to about 35% — and that expiring local funding, including a prior nonrecurring $800,000 referendum, would leave budget gaps.

To close those gaps, the district asked voters to approve a one-time $1,100,000 ask in year one, followed by $1,900,000 in each of the subsequent three years. The presenter said this would translate to approximately an $0.83 increase in the mill rate per $1,000 of assessed value (about $83 on a $100,000 home) for the first year and noted the district uses a web-based tax calculator so residents can see the exact local impact. The district also listed priorities for the funds: maintain programs and services (including specials like music and art), support student services (school psychologist and guidance counselor), continue curriculum and technology cycles, and address building maintenance and security needs.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the multi-year projections and a slide showing a later-year decline in mill rate under certain state-aid scenarios; district staff confirmed the estimates and invited voters to contact district representatives with questions.