I am writing as a River Forest taxpayer and District 90 parent because the school board is advancing a final teacher contract offer without publicly explaining the financial math behind it, and repeated requests for that clarity have gone unanswered. Recent reporting shows mediation has ended and both sides have moved into the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board public posting process, even as teachers continue working without a contract. That makes transparency more important than ever.
D90 is not facing a financial crisis. According to the district’s FY2025 financial report, it holds $34.3 million in unrestricted, unassigned reserves, nearly a full year of operating expenses and roughly 460 days of cash on hand, compared with the 180 days typically recommended for Illinois school districts. Since 2018, the district’s property tax levy has grown 24.7%, reflecting consistent maximum levies paid by this community.
Against that backdrop, the board is calling a $1.3-$1.6 million annual increase in teacher compensation “fair and generous.” In reality, that amount represents just 4-5% of reserves, roughly two weeks of available operating cash. It is the minimum needed to slow erosion from inflation, rising insurance costs, and competition from neighboring districts. But it does not restore competitiveness or protect against turnover.
Turnover is expensive, if this impasse leads to even 15% attrition, about 22 teachers out of a 145-teacher workforce, even before accounting for vacancies, substitutes, larger class sizes, and lost instructional continuity. The teachers most likely to leave are not the weakest ones; they are the experienced, effective educators who built and sustained the academic excellence this district now depends on.
This matters because school quality is one of the strongest drivers of property values in communities like River Forest. Even a modest 2-3% decline in school reputation could erase tens of millions of dollars in community wealth, far more than the cost of paying teachers competitively.
Growth makes this more urgent. In 2022, the board commissioned a demographic and enrollment projections study showing future enrollment varies significantly by housing type and density. At the same time, new residential development is advancing in TIF districts, where incremental property tax revenue does not flow to schools for years, even as enrollment and costs increase immediately.
If the board is confident in its position, it should provide four answers, publicly and clearly, to D90 parents and all River Forest taxpayers:
• Show the math explaining how the current teacher contract request creates a deficit, given existing reserves and tax base growth.
• Publish the district’s reserve policy and explain why reserves are held far above accepted standards.
• Present a concrete, multi-year plan for maintaining competitive teacher compensation that supports recruitment, retention, and academic excellence.
• Explain what actions are being taken to protect school funding from TIF-supported development that increases enrollment without providing funding.
Fiscal responsibility does not mean shifting risk onto teachers and families. Leadership is measured by whether resources are used to protect the academic excellence our teachers and this community have worked so hard to build.
Sources:
• River Forest School District 90, FY2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report and budget documents
• River Forest School District 90, Demographic Trends and Enrollment Projections (GeoLytics, Inc., October 2022), as cited in the District 90 Kindergarten Program Review Committee report
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), Fund Balance Guidelines for the General Fund
• Learning Policy Institute, What’s the Cost of Teacher Turnover? (2024)
• Figlio & Lucas, “What’s in a Grade? School Report Cards and the Housing Market,” American Economic Review; National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper No. 11347
