DeKalb Times

School districts across DeKalb County held a combined $226.7 million in long-term outstanding debt as of fiscal year 2024, amounting to 49.2% of the area’s total allowable borrowing capacity, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Under Illinois law, districts may only borrow up to a certain limit based on their Equalized Assessed Value (EAV)—a standardized measure of taxable property used to determine legal debt caps.

Based on the school district's enrollment of 16,041 students, the countywide debt translates to approximately $14,131 per student as of fiscal year 2024.

The county includes eight school districts, of which DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 held the most debt, totaling $110.4 million.

DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 ranked 26th statewide among all 851 Illinois districts reporting outstanding debt.

Among the school districts in DeKalb County, Sycamore Community Unit School District 427 used the highest percentage of its EAV-based debt limit at 9.9%, holding $75.4 million in outstanding debt with 3,597 students enrolled—approximately $20,973 per student. DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 ranked second, using 9.3% of its borrowing capacity with $110.4 million in long-term debt and an enrollment of 6,538— $16,879 per student.

Countywide, students identifying as white comprised the largest ethnic group in DeKalb County schools, accounting for 59.5% of the total enrollment. The second-largest ethnic group was Hispanic, comprising 21.9% of the student body.

The data was obtained by Wirepoints through a Freedom of Information Act request to the Illinois State Board of Education.

Illinois has enacted a law that changes the amount of debt school districts can issue. According to an analysis by Chapman, the new rules permit school districts to borrow more money than previously allowed. At the same time, the law modifies limits on property tax extensions that fund this debt. As a result, if districts take on more debt, local property taxes could increase to cover the additional costs.

The Illinois State Board of Education’s budget for fiscal year 2026 will increase from nearly $10.8 billion to about $11.2 billion. This includes a $307 million boost for K–12 schools, marking the smallest annual increase since 2020.

The agency has paused about $50 million in funding previously allocated through the Evidence-Based Funding formula for the Property Tax Relief Grant while reviewing its impact on local tax relief. Officials say the pause could affect the timing and amount of property tax relief available to taxpayers.

The annual reporting aims to increase transparency and accountability around school debt. Future reports will include 15 years of historical data, allowing residents to track long-term financial trends.

County Rank	State Rank	School District	Outstanding Debt	Percentage of Debt Limit Used	Percentage of EAV Used	Enrollment
1	26	DeKalb Community Unit School District 428	$110,355,000	67%	9.3%	6,538
2	46	Sycamore Community Unit School District 427	$75,440,939	71.8%	9.9%	3,597
3	208	Genoa-Kingston Community Unit School District 424	$16,216,558	45%	6.2%	1,488
4	355	Somonauk Community Unit School District 432	$7,522,162	29.5%	4.1%	759
5	373	Sandwich Community Unit School District 430	$6,997,309	12.4%	1.7%	1,824
6	416	Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District 429	$5,486,812	19%	2.6%	691
7	522	Hiawatha Community Unit School District 426	$3,170,000	22.4%	3.1%	417
8	605	Indian Creek School District 425	$1,490,000	4.9%	0.7%	727