Peoria Standard

A public hearing regarding a proposed property tax levy increase for Peoria County is scheduled for November 5, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. The meeting will take place at the Peoria County Courthouse, located at 324 Main Street, Room 403, in Peoria, Illinois. Residents who wish to participate or provide testimony can contact Heather McCord, Chief Financial Officer, at (309) 495-4968.

The proposal outlines that corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2025 amounted to $33,878,108. For the upcoming year, the proposed amount to be levied is $36,164,881. This would represent a 6.75% increase compared to the previous year.

There are no changes proposed for debt service and public building commission leases. Both the property taxes extended for these purposes in 2025 and those estimated for 2026 remain at $0.

In total, the estimated property taxes to be levied for all purposes in 2026 are $36,164,881—a 6.75% increase over last year's figure of $33,878,108.

Peoria County schools reported an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15-to-1 during the 2022-23 academic year with an enrollment of 27,081 students and 1,844 full-time faculty members across local schools (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism was recorded at a rate of 32.3%, which is below the Illinois state average of 35.6% (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

Among local schools in Peoria County during the same period:

- Dunlap High School had the highest number of white students enrolled with a total of 873 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

- Richwoods High School had the highest enrollment of multiracial students at 182 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

- Lincoln School reported the highest Hispanic student enrollment with 218 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

- Peoria High School had the highest Black student enrollment with a total of 798 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).