Illinois Election Interference - Harrison (Wonder Lake) D-36

Harrison (Wonder Lake) D-36: Election Interference?

Update, December 20, 2004

March 16, 2004, D-36's request for a $0.45 increase failed by eight votes, which was confirmed by a recount. November 2, 2004, D-36's request for a $0.58 increase failed by 36 votes. This despite the D-36 school board president *praying* for referendum passage. April 5, 2005, D-36, like many districts that don't understand "no", will again ask for a $0.58 increase. While praying didn't work in November, maybe having a board member co-chair the tax increase referendum support committee will in April. The math by this board member is also interesting, indicating that 51% - 49% is a 1 per cent difference between the no votes and the yes votes. Maybe the new McHenry County State's Attorney will take a stand on whether this is ethical. Maybe not.

As of December 20, 2004, the taxpayer funded D-36 web site continues to maintain "What is at stake..." and "Frequently Asked Questions", which appear to be pro-referendum advocacy pieces as pointed out below. The link to "Program cuts for 2004/2005" (which was a letter from the board and the administrators that provided among other things, meeting times, locations, and contacts for the referendum support group) has been replaced with a link entitled "Pledge Quality Education". This leads to a short letter from the superintendent pledging to provide a quality education and also pledging to continue to educate taxpayers. Are taxpayers not educated until they vote to increase their own and their neighbors' taxes?

Original page, posted in September, 2004

The Harrison District 36 school board and administrators seem to have no problem using their official, taxpayer funded, web site to promote one tax increase referendum after another.

Prior to the March 16, 2004, election, The official (taxpayer funded) D-36 home page had two links regarding the referendum -- "What is at Stake for Your Child" and "Frequently Asked Questions", both in a box titled "Education Fund Referendum". As discussed below, these are advocacy pieces (at least by the Lake County State's Attorney's interpretation) hosted via public resources, which are subject to election interference rules. The home page also had a paragraph announcing the times, locations, and contacts for the referendum support group, "Citizen's Referendum Committee." Click here to see a copy of the D-36 official home page printed out in February, 2004.

The D-36 tax increase referendum lost in March, 2004. So at its board meeting on May 25, 2004, D-36 voted to run another referendum in November. Since February, at least through September 4, 2004, links to the "What is at stake..." and "Frequently Asked Questions" advocacy pieces have remained on the official, taxpayer funded, District 36 home page, and also on most other pages as one navigates the site. The only difference is the box says "Education Fund Deficit - for more information:" instead of "Education Fund Referendum - March 16th", as it said previously.

An additional link has recently been added to the box entitled "Program cuts for 2004/2005". When clicked on, the viewer is sent to a letter from the D-36 Board of Education and administration under the heading, "Education Fund Referendum 2004/2005 cuts" -- another advocacy piece. The letter contain a long list of "very dramatic program cuts and changes that will impact our students and the quality of their education." To remove any doubt about this page, hosted on an official public school web site, is an advocacy piece, the last paragraph discusses the referendum support committee, and its next meeting -- which happened to be on public school property.

CRAFT would like the Lake County State's Attorney to evaluate "What Is At Stake For Your Child". While it doesn't extol the board or administrators, nor explicitly call for action in the form of a yes vote, it presents a clear "doom and gloom" message to parents. It's a digest of excerpts from the "Harrison Happenings" weekly newsletter, produced with public resources and sent home with each family's youngest student.

Each of 10 messages expresses the negatives of the loss of some program -- library, physical education, gifted/remedial math, remedial reading, art, academic clubs, student council, school sports, music, etc. That, coupled with this: "Can we afford to eliminate more programs and services at Harrison School? The dollars coming in are not enough to support current student programs and services." appears to urge a yes vote on D-36's tax increase referendum.

What makes the D-36 "Education Fund Referendum F.A.Q." page an advocacy piece, and subject to election interference rules

Q1 - "The district can no longer provide this level of programming due to the fact that the revenue coming into the district is not keeping up with the expenditures. This deficit does not exist because of excessive salary contracts, and it is not because of uncontrolled spending." Is this pointing to poor management of expenditures? Or is it extolling the board and administration for keeping salaries and spending in line?

Q3 - "Since 1987 your taxes have gone up only as the assessed value of your property has increased, not due to higher taxes by Harrison." Extolling the district's financial management.

Q15 - "The Harrison Board of Education is not allowed to expend any district funds to get voters to say yes. An independent referendum committee has been formed that is running the campaign. Please call chairperson, Sue Reuss, at 728-1927 for more information on what you can do." D-36 won't use public resources to urge yes votes -- D-36 will use public resources to urge contacting a group that urges yes votes.

For more information on these web pages or to submit examples of election interference in your district, contact Citizens for Reasonable and Fair Taxes.

CRAFT believes public school funds or resources should *not* be used to educate the public on political issues.

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