Sangamon Sun

School districts across Logan County held a combined $26.2 million in long-term outstanding debt as of fiscal year 2024, amounting to 27.6% 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 3,112 students, the countywide debt translates to approximately $8,423 per student as of fiscal year 2024.

The county includes seven school districts, of which Mount Pulaski Community Unit School District 23 held the most debt, totaling $10.1 million.

Mount Pulaski Community Unit School District 23 ranked 306th statewide among all 851 Illinois districts reporting outstanding debt.

Among the school districts in Logan County, Mount Pulaski Community Unit School District 23 used the highest percentage of its EAV-based debt limit at 5.4%, holding $10.1 million in outstanding debt with 516 students enrolled—approximately $19,621 per student. Lincoln Elementary School District 27 ranked second, using 5.4% of its borrowing capacity with $7.9 million in long-term debt and an enrollment of 1,063— $7,469 per student.

Countywide, students identifying as white comprised the largest ethnic group in Logan County schools, accounting for 86.7% of the total enrollment. The second-largest ethnic group was multiracial, comprising 6.4% 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	306	Mount Pulaski Community Unit School District 23	$10,124,337	38.9%	5.4%	516
2	344	Lincoln Elementary School District 27	$7,940,000	77.7%	5.4%	1,063
3	456	Lincoln Community High School District 404	$4,445,000	14.5%	1%	776
4	601	Chester-East Lincoln Community Consolidated School District 61	$1,524,000	19.9%	1.4%	297
5	651	New Holland-Middletown Elementary School District 88	$872,601	18.4%	1.3%	67
6	663	West Lincoln-Broadwell Elementary School District 92	$690,000	8.6%	0.6%	220
7	671	Hartsburg Emden Community Unit School District 21	$615,000	8.2%	1.1%	173