Proposed new DeKalb County schools sales tax would not tax groceries, prescriptions, cars

SYCAMORE – A proposed new sales tax benefiting DeKalb County schools would not tax groceries, prescription drugs or cars, according to Sycamore Community Unit School District 427.

Voters will be asked in a November ballot referendum whether they back a proposed DeKalb County School Facility Tax, which officials have said could generate about $10 million in revenue for all school districts in the county. Sycamore District 427 has set up a webpage to inform voters on the proposal, which if approved would enact a new 1% sales tax in the county.

“It’s important to note that if a product or service is not currently subject to sales tax, it will not be taxed under this proposal. Items such as prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, cars and trucks, farm equipment, unprepared foods (groceries), and services will be untaxed,” the webpage reads.

DeKalb, Sycamore, Sandwich and other school districts in the county approved the plan for a referendum earlier this summer.

Officials have said tax revenue collected could go toward buying new school buildings, or funding building renovations; land acquisitions; and building demolitions, according to Sycamore district documents. Improvements to technology infrastructure, parking lots, roofs and other aspects of school facilities could also come through the sales tax revenue.

The tax revenue would be collected by the Illinois Department of Revenue and disbursed on a monthly basis by the state treasurer to the Regional Office of Education, which would be responsible for allocating the collections to school districts.

At a Sycamore school board meeting on Aug. 27, school baord member Christian Copple asked officials how the district is disseminating information regarding the referendum to the public.

Sycamore Superintendent Steve Wilder said he coordinated with other districts within the county on a flier on the referendum, but how each district communicates about the referendum will be decided on a per district basis.

“I had a discuss about that [messaging] just this afternoon, through additional messaging, some public meetings where I’ll present some information and then field questions,” Wilder said. “I wouldn’t call those a town hall necessarily but kind of that style. I actually tentatively scheduled two of those meetings. Those will come out through the communications department.”

Wilder said he’s also looking into giving a presentation on the referendum to the Rotary Club of Sycamore, but he said he can’t use that platform to sway voters.

“We are limited to just sharing information, there are laws that prevent us from encouraging the vote either way. So that would be my goal, is just to share as much information as we can but also get an opportunity to answer some questions that come from the public. We’ll kind of see how some of the other communities do it as well,” Wilder said.