The Bradley Elementary School District is asking for a tax levy of $13.5 million, an increase of 4.95%, for Fiscal 2025.

The Bradley Elementary School Board approved the levy on Thursday.

The levy request must be submitted to the Kankakee County Clerk’s office by Dec. 31.

Since the request was under 5%, a truth-in-taxation hearing was not required.

Finance Director Nicole McCarty reviewed the levy information before the board vote.

Property taxes are District 61’s largest source of income, making up 50% of its budget, she said.

The statewide average is 65% of school district revenue coming from property taxes.

State and federal funding sources make up about 31% and 12% of the Bradley district’s budget, respectively.

The district’s fund balance at the end of last fiscal year, which was the end of June 2025, was $12,658,813, or just over six months’ cash on hand, McCarty said.

The change in the consumer price index from 2024 to 2025, a factor used in calculating the levy, was 2.9%.

Taxing districts in Kankakee County are subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, or PTELL, meaning increases are limited to 5% or the change in CPI, whichever is less, plus the value of new construction.

The CPI change this year was 2.9%.

McCarty said the district is asking for a greater percentage increase to capture the value of new property in the area.

“School districts receive no more than we request, but also no more than we’re entitled to,” McCarty said.

The area saw an estimated $3.76 million in new property added to the books for 2025.

It had reached a high point in 2023, when the area’s new property was about $12.61 million. Last year, it was about $6.79 million.

“That has been the catalyst for new revenue for us, which has helped us with new projects we’ve been able to accomplish in our district,” McCarty said.

The total levy request, including capped and non-capped funds, comes to $13,517,394.

McCarty said she anticipates the district will receive closer to $13.4 million, which would be an increase of approximately $477,000 over the 2024 extension.

The total extension for 2024 was about $12.9 million.

For the school district’s portion of the tax bill, the estimated increase will be about $70.08 for the owner of a $150,000 home, $78.39 for the owner of a $172,139 home, $88.86 for the owner of a $200,000 home and $107.64 for the owner of a $250,000 home.