The law firm, financial advisers and benefits consultants for Glenbard High School District 87 contributed a total of $3,000 to help pass a tax hike for the district.

The district's teachers union, the Glenbard Education Association, kicked in another $1,210.

All totaled, that's about a quarter of the contributions given to United 4 Glenbard, the committee promoting a referendum that will ask voters next Tuesday for a 45-cent property tax rate increase.

As of Tuesday, the group had so far raised $17,613 to support its campaign, according to disclosure records filed with the state and supplied by United 4 Glenbard.

The committee's biggest financial supporter so far is Larry West, who serves as one of the campaign's co-chairmen.

The Glendale Heights resident has donated $2,250 to date. He gave $1,000 personally; his company, Plexus Productions of Wood Dale, contributed another $1,000; and a second West-owned business, DLM Technologies, also based in Wood Dale, chipped in an additional $250.

West said he had no reservations about helping the cause above and beyond the volunteer hours he's committed.

"Education, in my mind, should be No. 1 in any community," he said. "I always consider education a good investment."

That belief is also part of the reason the committee specifically targeted as potential donors the vendors who do business with District 87, West said.

"Our point is that vendors have something to lose (if the referendum fails) as well as the community," he said.

Benefit Brokers & Consultants of Hinsdale, which works on the district's employee benefit program, donates to school causes whenever it's asked to do so, said Vice President Scott Baldwin. The firm gave $1,000.

Sodexho Inc., the district's food service provider, donated $100 to the group and routinely helps campaigns in communities where it does business and where employees work, said company spokeswoman Bonnie Gordon. When the schools are supported well, it's good for everyone involved, she said.

"We truly have a partnership," she said.

District 87 is asking voters to approve a 30-cent increase to its education fund and says that, if approved, it will also add 10 cents to the operations and maintenance fund and 5 cents to the working cash fund.

That would cost the owner of a $300,000 home an estimated $285 more the first year and another $142.50 the second.

Eve Donald, a Glenbard South High School parent, said work prohibited her from devoting much time to the actual campaign, which is why her family chose to make a $500 donation to the group.

"We felt it was a very worthwhile cause," she said. "It's so, so important and we felt it was the best way we could help."

Janet Schwartz echoed her concerns.

The Glenbard West High School parent said she donated $1,500 because she worries about the potential impact of voters rejecting the tax request.

"I think our community schools are very important," she said.

Trimming the school day from seven courses to six, which the school board said it would do without more revenue, is a significant concern, Schwartz said, as is the projected loss of extracurricular programs.

West said the group's biggest expenses so far were for 3,000 yard signs, and 60,000 information cards and fliers - along with postage - to distribute information to 46,802 households.

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