Families across Winnetka, Wilmette, Kenilworth, Glencoe, and Northfield fund their schools almost entirely out of their own pockets. A statewide analysis published Wednesday, July 8, confirms what North Shore property owners feel every time a tax bill arrives: the state's school funding formula sends almost no money here, by design.

New Trier Township High School District 203 is 91% funded by local property taxes, according to the Capitol News Illinois analysis by reporter Peter Hancock. The district ranked third in Illinois among high school districts for per-pupil instructional spending in fiscal year 2025, at just over $21,000 per student. Its property tax base sits at nearly $1.9 million per pupil, and its tax rate is $1.92 per $100 of equalized assessed valuation.

That rate is among the lowest in the state. But the dollars behind it are enormous because home values are enormous. The median sale price for a single-family home in New Trier Township was $1,314,000 in 2024, according to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi's office.

"We were 91% funded by local property taxes, and so we have a long history of our community generously committing to support our schools," said Chris Johnson, deputy superintendent at New Trier District 203, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on the EBF formula's implementation.

The statewide picture

Illinois adopted the Evidence-Based Funding formula in 2017 to steer new dollars toward the neediest districts first. Since then, annual state school funding has grown more than $3 billion, reaching an estimated $10.8 billion in fiscal year 2027, which began July 1. The number of districts funded at or above 90% of their adequacy target grew from 194 in fiscal 2018 to 313 in fiscal 2026.

Still, 537 of 850 districts statewide remain below 90% of adequacy. The Illinois State Board of Education estimates it would take an additional $3 billion to bring every district to that threshold.

Among high school districts, the richest 10% still spend about 29% more per pupil on instruction than the poorest 10%. At the elementary level, that gap has nearly closed: in 2017, the wealthiest 10% of elementary districts spent 39% more per pupil than the poorest; by 2025, spending levels were roughly even.

What this means as tax bills arrive

The timing matters for North Shore homeowners. Cook County Assessor Kaegi released reassessment figures for New Trier Township in April 2025 showing a 39% increase in total assessed value, reflecting three years of market changes. Those higher values will hit second-installment tax bills expected to be mailed in September and due at the start of October, after Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle confirmed on June 9 that bills would arrive roughly two months late.

For families at Crow Island Elementary in Winnetka, Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, or Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette, the math is straightforward: local property taxes fund the vast majority of what happens in their children's classrooms, and those taxes are rising on higher assessments even if rates stay flat.

School districts statewide estimated that financial workarounds caused by Cook County's repeated billing delays have cost them more than $120 million collectively, according to testimony at a June 10 Cook County Board hearing. The county set aside $300 million in no-interest bridge loans for affected local governments, with applications opening Monday, July 20.

What's next

The New Trier District 203 Board of Education meets Monday, July 13. The agenda includes a facilities planning update and deferred financial reports from May 2026, offering context for how the district is navigating rising property values and delayed revenue at the Winnetka Avenue main campus and the Northfield Road freshman campus.

EBF adequacy data for Winnetka District 36, Wilmette District 39, Kenilworth District 38, Glencoe District 35, and Sunset Ridge District 29 is available through the Illinois State Board of Education at isbe.net/Pages/ebfdistribution.aspx.

North Shore Schools Week Ahead

• Monday, July 13 | New Trier District 203 Board of Education regular meeting | Facilities planning update, deferred May 2026 financial reports and bill list | newtrier.k12.il.us for agenda and livestream