·Schools
Lake County Voters Will Decide on 1-Mill School Tax — Here’s What Would Actually Change
Lake County voters will decide on a 1-mill school property tax this November—but homeowners already pay 0.75 mill under an existing measure. LCN breaks down what would actually change, what it could cost and where the district says the money would go.
THE LCN BREAKDOWN
WHAT HAPPENED
Lake County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a 1-mill property tax for Lake County Schools. The proposal would take effect July 1, 2027, and remain in place for four years if approved.
WHY IT MATTERS
Lake County property owners already pay a voter-approved 0.75-mill school levy, which expires June 30, 2027. The referendum would replace that levy with 1 mill, making the effective increase over the existing voter-approved rate 0.25 mill.
WHO IT AFFECTS
The referendum affects Lake County voters and property owners, as well as students, teachers and employees of Lake County Schools. The financial impact on an individual property owner depends on the property's taxable value.
WHAT CHANGES
If approved, the school district says revenue from the 1-mill levy would support teacher recruitment and retention, school safety and student mental-health services. An independent citizens' oversight committee would monitor spending.
WHAT'S NEXT
The measure will appear before voters during the Nov. 3, 2026 general election. Early voting runs Oct. 19–31.
FULL LCN REPORT
WHAT HAPPENED
Lake County voters will have a decision to make this November about how much local property-tax funding should go toward Lake County Schools.
The district is asking voters to approve a 1-mill property tax for four years, with revenue designated for teacher recruitment and retention, school safety and student mental-health services.
But there's an important piece of context that can easily get lost in the phrase “1-mill property tax.”
Lake County property owners are already paying 0.75 mill under an existing voter-approved measure.
Lake County voters first approved the 0.75-mill property tax in 2018. Voters agreed to continue it for another four years in 2022.
That existing levy expires June 30, 2027.
The new referendum does not propose keeping the 0.75 mill and adding another full mill on top of it.
Instead, if voters approve the referendum, the existing 0.75-mill levy would expire and the new 1-mill levy would begin July 1, 2027.
The difference between the two rates is 0.25 mill.
WHY IT MATTERS
Property-tax terminology can make the proposal sound more complicated than it is.
A mill represents $1 in property tax for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
Under the proposed rate:
$100,000 of taxable value = $100 annually at 1 mill.
But because Lake County property owners already pay 0.75 mill under the existing referendum, comparing the current levy with the proposed levy gives residents a clearer picture of what would actually change.
Taxable value Current 0.75 mill Proposed 1 mill Annual difference
$100,000 $75 $100 +$25
$200,000 $150 $200 +$50
$250,000 $187.50 $250 +$62.50
$300,000 $225 $300 +$75
$400,000 $300 $400 +$100
$500,000 $375 $500 +$125
These calculations illustrate the difference between 0.75 mill and 1 mill using taxable value.
A property's taxable value is not necessarily the same as its market value or sale price, and exemptions can affect the amount subject to taxation.
For example, at $250,000 of taxable value, the difference between the existing and proposed rates would be approximately $62.50 per year, or about $5.21 per month when averaged across the year.
That comparison is important because saying a $250,000 taxable property would generate $250 under a 1-mill levy is mathematically correct—but doesn't tell residents that the existing 0.75-mill levy already represents $187.50 of that amount.
WHERE WOULD THE MONEY GO?
Lake County Schools identifies three broad priorities for revenue generated by the referendum:
Teacher recruitment and retention
The district says additional funding would help Lake County remain competitive with neighboring school districts when recruiting and retaining teachers.
School safety
The district says referendum revenue would help cover several safety-related expenses, including school resource deputies and officers and school safety guardians.
Funding would also support the Positive Alternative to School Suspension program and alternative educational programs operated by the district.
Student mental health and health services
The district identifies school psychologists, social workers, mental-health liaisons and campus nurses among the services the referendum would help fund.
These descriptions represent Lake County Schools' stated plans for the revenue. They should not be interpreted as an independent LCN endorsement of the referendum.
WHO IT AFFECTS
Property owners
Owners of taxable property in Lake County would experience the most direct financial effect.
The amount depends on the property's taxable value and applicable exemptions.
If voters approve the referendum, the rate associated with this particular school levy would increase from 0.75 mill to 1 mill beginning July 1, 2027.
Teachers and school employees
Lake County Schools says teacher recruitment and retention would become one of the uses of referendum revenue.
That's a notable change from the district's description of the existing measure, which has primarily supported safety, mental-health and health-related services.
Students and families
The district says the money would continue supporting personnel and programs connected with campus safety, student health, mental health and alternative education.
Voters
Ultimately, voters aren't being asked simply whether they support or oppose school funding.
They're being asked whether Lake County should replace an expiring 0.75-mill voter-approved levy with a 1-mill levy for another four years.
That distinction gives voters a clearer picture of the actual decision.
WHAT CHANGES
If voters approve the referendum:
The current 0.75-mill levy expires June 30, 2027.
The new 1-mill levy begins July 1, 2027.
It remains in effect for four years.
The district says the revenue will support teacher recruitment and retention, school safety and mental-health services.
If voters reject the referendum:
The proposed 1-mill levy would not take effect.
The existing 0.75-mill levy would still reach its scheduled expiration on June 30, 2027, unless some separate future action changes that outcome.
That makes the consequences of a “no” vote an important part of this story as well.
LCN will be looking more closely at which programs and positions currently supported by the 0.75-mill levy could be affected if replacement funding isn't approved.
HOW WOULD THE MONEY BE MONITORED?
Lake County Schools says an independent citizens' oversight committee composed of community members would oversee spending generated by the referendum.
Projects funded through the levy would also require School Board approval, and the district says state law limits how millage funds may be used in accordance with the ballot language.
If voters approve the referendum, oversight will become an important part of LCN's continuing coverage.
Rather than simply reporting that the tax passed, residents should be able to see how much money is collected, where it goes and whether spending matches what voters were told before Election Day.
WHAT'S NEXT
The referendum goes before voters during the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.
According to the Lake County Supervisor of Elections:
Voter registration deadline: Oct. 5
Early voting: Oct. 19–31, 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
Election Day: Nov. 3, 7 a.m.–7 p.m.
Lake County Supervisor of Elections — 2026 General Election
Between now and Election Day, LCN will continue examining the proposal rather than treating this as a one-story issue.
Among the questions worth answering:
How much money would the 1-mill levy generate each year?
How much of that revenue would go toward teacher compensation?
How would the district divide funding among safety, mental health and staffing?
Which positions and programs currently depend on the expiring 0.75-mill levy?
What specifically happens to those programs if voters reject the referendum?
How will members of the citizens' oversight committee be selected?
What does the final ballot language require?
Those answers can help residents evaluate the referendum based on its actual financial and operational consequences rather than simply whether they're generally “for schools” or “against taxes.”
LCN BOTTOM LINE
Lake County voters aren't deciding whether to add a completely new 1-mill tax on top of the existing 0.75-mill school levy.
They're deciding whether an existing levy scheduled to expire next year should be replaced by a higher one.
The current rate is 0.75 mill.
The proposed rate is 1 mill.
The difference is 0.25 mill.
If approved, the new rate would begin July 1, 2027, remain in effect for four years and fund teacher recruitment and retention, school safety and student mental-health services, according to Lake County Schools.
Voters make the final decision Nov. 3.
DOES LAKE COUNTY NEED TO SEE THIS?
0Lake County readers have pushed this story.
KNOW SOMETHING WE DON'T?
Have information about this story or something happening in your community? We want to hear from you.
