by Stephen Moore
In Naperville, Illinois, the school board announced it would distribute $10 million back to taxpayers this year. Yes. A tax refund.
In a news release, Superintendent Dan Bridges told residents that he “understands the great burden many of our families have faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic and hopes that this reimbursement lessens that burden.” The typical family will receive a refund of $200 to $500. Good for Naperville.
The 10-month pandemic shutdown generated a savings of roughly $20 million, or about 6.5% out of a $300 million school budget. The Naperville Sun reported that the district’s expenses for everything from transportation, utilities, staffing needs, and so on have been much lower while the doors have been shut.
Naperville school board member Paul Leong, a local businessman, told me: “It’s amazing that we are the only school district in the area or in the state that has given taxpayers some of their money back.”
Or in the whole country, for that matter.
Why aren’t more school boards in areas where school buildings were shut down providing families and businesses with property tax rebate checks?
Heritage Foundation education analyst Lindsey Burke, who first suggested the tax rebate idea many months ago, said that if schools aren’t open, the taxpayers who fund the schools deserve a break. But the National Taxpayers Association said it hasn’t found any other school districts that have done so.
Why not? Lost revenues squeeze some low-income school budgets due to…
Continue Reading