Voters in Villa Park will face two school district tax questions on Tuesday, Nov. 3, while Elmhurst and Oakbrook Terrace residents will see one.

DuPage County School District 45, which serves Villa Park, Lombard, Elmhurst and Oakbrook Terrace, is asking voters to approve a 0.267% property tax rate increase. DuPage High School District 88, which covers Addison and Villa Park, wants authorization to borrow $118 million for building upgrades. Both propositions appear on the DuPage County ballot alongside federal, state and county races.

What District 45 homeowners would pay

The District 45 proposition would raise the district's property tax limiting rate to 3.2229% of equalized assessed value for the 2026 levy year, according to the ballot language. The district's total tax extension would climb from roughly $45.3 million to about $49.4 million.

For homeowners, the ballot estimates an additional $89 per year on a home with a fair market value of $100,000. The DuPage Policy Journal reported the increase would cost about $311 a year on a $350,000 home. A Chicago Tribune editorial put that figure at $299 on a $350,000 property. The reason for the discrepancy is unclear.

The revenue would fund instructional programming, student support services, operations and maintenance, and safety and security improvements, according to the ballot language. The Tribune editorial reported that district officials have said funding has not kept pace with rising costs for staffing, transportation, insurance and materials, and that the district has cut administrative positions, reduced programs and delayed technology investments.

The Tribune also reported that District 45 enrollment has dropped about 6.5% to 3,135 students, down from 3,354 in 2019.

District 88's $118 million bond question

District 88 is asking voters to approve $118 million in school building bonds. The money would pay for safety and security upgrades, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility work, updates to roofing, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and heating and cooling systems, career and technical education (CTE) renovations, and energy-efficiency improvements at district facilities.

The total cost with interest over 30 years would be about $217.3 million, the DuPage Policy Journal reported. The district has said there would be no net tax rate increase, though no public explanation of that claim has appeared in available records.

Fox 32 reported that District 88 serves voters in Addison and Villa Park.

How to check your ballot

Registered voters can look up the specific candidates, propositions and referenda for their address at dupagecounty.gov. Polls are open Tuesday, Nov. 3.