South Central Reporter

School districts across Marion County held a combined $38.1 million in long-term outstanding debt as of fiscal year 2024, amounting to 38.3% 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 6,132 students, the countywide debt translates to approximately $6,210 per student as of fiscal year 2024.

The county includes 13 school districts, of which Salem Community High School District 600 held the most debt, totaling $10.1 million.

Salem Community High School District 600 ranked 304th statewide among all 851 Illinois districts reporting outstanding debt.

Among the school districts in Marion County, Odin Public School District 722 used the highest percentage of its EAV-based debt limit at 8.3%, holding $1.7 million in outstanding debt with 232 students enrolled—approximately $7,181 per student. South Central Community Unit School District 401 ranked second, using 7.1% of its borrowing capacity with $6.7 million in long-term debt and an enrollment of 627— $10,677 per student.

Countywide, students identifying as white comprised the largest ethnic group in Marion County schools, accounting for 82.8% of the total enrollment. The second-largest ethnic group was multiracial, comprising 6.8% 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	304	Salem Community High School District 600	$10,143,862	54.3%	3.7%	695
2	377	South Central Community Unit School District 401	$6,694,459	51.2%	7.1%	627
3	383	Salem School District 111	$6,499,039	68.3%	4.7%	959
4	429	Centralia High School District 200	$5,070,662	27.6%	1.9%	868
5	502	Centralia School District 135	$3,514,336	31%	2.1%	1,051
6	523	Patoka Community Unit School District 100	$3,107,386	33.7%	4.7%	222
7	591	Odin Public School District 722	$1,666,000	59.8%	8.3%	232
8	685	Sandoval Community Unit School District 501	$503,909	11.7%	1.6%	422
9	709	Central City School District 133	$295,583	15%	1%	295
10	723	Raccoon Consolidated School District 1	$230,908	7%	0.5%	209
11	730	Kell Consolidated School District 2	$193,110	15.9%	1.1%	71
12	739	Selmaville Community Consolidated School District 10	$145,201	4.4%	0.3%	236
13	768	Iuka Community Consolidated School District 7	$13,457	0.5%	<0.1%	245