Rich Township High School

District 227
Bond Research
Property Taxes
School Environment
 School District 227 superintendent
Johnnie Thomas (Salary 300,000) and the 227
School Board prevented voters from
voting on the 105 million dollar bond
issue using a back door referendum.

3777 Voters were required to sign the

petition to force a voter referendum.
The petition was placed in the
newspaper on November 21, 2019 to
hide the petition.
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3777 Voters were not able to sign
the petition in the time frame of
December 16, 2019.

This led to the 105 million bond

issue and Rich Township 227
school district amassing 170
million in debt with 51 million in
Interest Payments.
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The 227 school board members that
voted for the bond issue.

Cheryl Coleman
Andrea Bonds
Janice Preston
Delores Woods

They have indebted taxpayers for the

next 30 years to pay back
the bond debt.
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 Rich Township School District
227 2021 Financial Report
• 170 Million in Debt
• 51 Million in Interest Payments
• Source: Page 41
https://emma.msrb.org/P11621891.pdf

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Rich Township School District
227 2021 Financial Report

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 Rich Township School District 227
Bond Payments have an unrealistic
Debt Repayment Schedule
• The Debt Repayment Schedule increases from 4.2 million to 6.2
million over the next 12 years.
• A unrealistic payment of 13.2 million was placed in year 2040 of
the bond.
• These unrealistic payments will cause property taxes to increase
dramatically. Thus, the bond will have to be refinanced past the
year 2046.
• The bond payment was structured in this manner as there is not
enough property tax revenue to pay for a 48 million dollar
fieldhouse, refurbished football stadium and class rooms.

• Source: Page 7 https://emma.msrb.org/P31529442.pdf

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 Rich Township School District 227
Bond Payments have an unrealistic
Debt Repayment Schedule

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 Rich Township School District 227
Bond Payments have an unrealistic
Debt Repayment Schedule

Source: https://emma.msrb.org/IssueView/Details/RE398588

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Rich Township School District 227
Forced to vote for a property tax
increase on December 21, 2022.
Three years after the 227 School
Board was told they would
Bankrupt Rich Township with the
wasteful 105 million dollar bond
issue.

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 2020 Annual Tax Sale
Rich Township

• As of November 18, 2022 according to the Cook

County treasurer 2020 Annual Tax Sale in Rich
Township there are a total of 1,768 delinquent PINs
with a total due (Including Interest) of:
$25,174,918.46 million.

• Source: https://tinyurl.com/57matnzr

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 Rich Township School District 227
has the lowest property tax
collection rates in history
• Only 85% of taxpayers in Rich Township are paying their
property taxes.
• 15% of taxpayers in Rich Township are not paying their
property taxes which requires Rich Township school
district 227 to raise the property tax rates on existing
homeowners.

• Source: Page 3 https://emma.msrb.org/P21538669-

P21188332-P21607661.pdf

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Rich Township School District 227
has the lowest property tax
collection rates in history

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 Illinois Policy Institute article on the Property Tax
nightmares in Rich Township March 5, 2020

https://www.illinoispolicy.org/property-taxes-turning-american-dreams-into-illinois-nightmares/
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 Rich Township High School District 227
VS
Homewood Flossmoor High School District 233
• In 2021 Rich Township High School district 227 had a budget of 76 million with 2,503 students. The
Instructional spending per student was 13,000 dollars and the operational spending per student was 28,000
dollars.
• In 2021 Homewood Flossmoor High School District 233 had a budget of 62 million with 2,720 students. The
Instructional spending per student was 12,000 dollars and the operational spending per student was 19,000
dollars.
• Rich Township High School District lists 99% of their students as Low Income.
• Source:
https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/CompareSnapShots.aspx?id=070162270170002,070162330160001&sourc
e=fastfacthighlights&sourceID=070162270170002

Analysis
• Rich Township High School district 227 is clearly overspending with less students but with poor results. Rich Township High
School district 227 trails in every category from test scores, graduation rate, college readiness, post secondary enrollment,
and community college remediation. In essence there are serious societal problems in Rich Township where parental
guidance is missing in many homes where there is zero value to attain a sound high school education to prepare for future
endeavors.
• Spending 48 million dollars on a fieldhouse with indoor basketball courts, a track and a climbing wall is a travesty to
students who are in dire need of social and education support. Every penny of that 48 million dollars should have been
spent on improving the educational climate. An improved football stadium used maybe ten times a year and a 48 million
dollar fieldhouse will do absolutely nothing to improve test scores.

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 Rich Township High School District 227
VS
Homewood Flossmoor High School District 233
RICH TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR HIGH SCHOOL
Enrollment 2503 2720
Class Size 20 22
College and Career Readiness
Freshman on Track 68% 85%
Graduation Rate 83% 94%
Postsecondary Enrollment (16 months) 54% 75%
Student Characteristics
Student Mobility 18% 6%
Low Income 99% 11%
Students with IEPs 19% 13%
English Learners 7% 1%
District Finances
Local Funding 73% 69%
State Funding 19% 29%
Federal Funding 8% 2%
Revenue 76 million 62 million
Instructional Spending Per Student 13,000 12,000
Operational Spending Per Student 28,000 18 19,000
 Rich Township High School District 227
Student Fights have been a huge problem since the
closure of Rich East with consolidation into Rich
Central and Rich South
September 2021

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 Rich Township High School District 227
Student Fights have been a huge problem since the
closure of Rich East with consolidation into Rich
Central and Rich South
February 2022

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 Rich Township High School District 227
Student Fights have been a huge problem since the
closure of Rich East with consolidation into Rich
Central and Rich South
September 7, 2022

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 Rich Township High School District 227
Student Fights have been a huge problem since the
closure of Rich East with consolidation into Rich
Central and Rich South
September 21, 2022

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So after closing a school, issuing 105 million in
bonds with 51 million in interest payments with a
payment plan to 2046 and beyond. The test scores
are subpar with no improvement with daily student
fights.

However, the School district 227 superintendent

and school board celebrate the opening of a 48
million dollar fieldhouse that will do nothing to
improve test scores or prepare these children who
are in dire need of educational guidance.

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https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/opinion/ct-sta-slowik-rich-township-field-house-st-1028-
20221027-35q4sqcqvraohauwwc3dz4cori-story.html

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