When people talk about the Bears and property taxes, they usually picture Arlington Heights schools. But the school districts that actually tax the Arlington Park site are not the ones most residents would guess. The parties to the December 2024 tax agreement for the site are Palatine Community Consolidated School District 15, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and Northwest Suburban High School District 214. Arlington Heights elementary District 25 is not a party, and none of the reporting I reviewed ties District 25 to the site.
One caution: I have not checked the parcel numbers against the Cook County tax map myself. If you want to confirm it, look up the site’s parcels on the Cook County Treasurer or Clerk tax-bill lookup; the districts listed on the bill are the ones that collect from the land.
Why the schools care so much
Schools collect the largest share of a typical suburban property tax bill. A 326-acre site that becomes home to a $5 billion stadium district could be one of the most valuable properties in the area. Any long-term freeze, payment-in-lieu-of-taxes deal or public-ownership arrangement directly changes what these districts can collect. District 214 hired a lobbyist in February 2023 to fight a proposed 40-year assessment freeze.
How the value of Arlington Park was fought over
The assessed value of the land has moved a lot since the Bears closed on the $197.2 million purchase in February 2023:
| When | Who | Market value | What it meant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early 2023 | Cook County Assessor (Fritz Kaegi) | About $197M (matched sale price) | An initial tax bill of about $16.1M |
| 2023 | Settlement Churchill Downs had reached with the districts | $95M | A bill of about $7.8M |
| Jan. 2024 Board of Review hearing | School districts’ appraisal | $160M | The schools’ position |
| Jan. 2024 Board of Review hearing | Bears’ appraisal | $60M | A $100M gap with the schools |
| Feb. 2024 | Cook County Board of Review | $125M | Set the value for that year |
| Dec. 9, 2024 MOU | Village, Bears entity and Districts 15, 211, 214 | $124,691,296 | About $3.6M a year in tax, for tax years 2025–2027 |
Vacant land in Cook County is assessed at 10% of market value, which is how a value of about $125 million translates into roughly $3.6 million in annual taxes. For comparison, the Bears’ tax bill for 2023 was close to $9 million, and before that the Bears had countered at a value as low as $52.5 million.
What the 2024 agreement does and doesn’t do
The memorandum of understanding locks in the value only while the land sits vacant and only for tax years 2025 through 2027. It does not decide what happens once a stadium is built. That question is exactly what Springfield is debating. Reports differ on what happens after 2027 if the Bears have not committed to build; I cover that in a separate post.
What the state proposals mean for these districts
- Megaprojects PILOT (HB 910): The Bears would have made fixed payments for up to 40 years. Half of that money would have gone to property tax relief, 60% of it as homeowner rebates in the affected districts. Sen. Bill Cunningham relayed that with that rebate mechanism in place, the team would likely not build in Arlington Heights.
- Stadium authority (HB 958 SA2): The stadium would be publicly owned and pay no property tax at all. The surrounding development would still pay.
- Reported October framework: According to Crain’s, citing unnamed sources, the stadium would be tax-exempt under an authority. How schools would be treated has not been reported.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers estimated the broader megaprojects framework could cost more than $10 billion in tax breaks over 25 years statewide, with about half coming from schools, according to ITEP and Good Jobs First. That estimate covers all eligible projects, not just the Bears.
Where local candidates stand
Carina Santa Maria, the Democratic candidate in Senate District 27, has said she is open to tax certainty for the Bears if schools are protected. Candidates in House Districts 53 and 54 have staked out a range of positions; I cover all of them in my election guide.
What to watch
- Whether a veto-session bill includes any hold-harmless or payment to Districts 15, 211 and 214.
- Statements from the three districts. I could not find any public 2026 statements from them.
- The 2027 expiration of the current agreement.
Sources
- Patch: Bears would pay $3.6M in property taxes under Arlington Park agreement
- The Real Deal: Bears settle for $7.8M tax bill in first battle of Arlington Park fight
- The Real Deal: School districts value Bears stadium site at $160M
- Daily Herald: Bears and schools $100 million apart on Arlington Park value
- FOX 32: Arlington Heights school board hires lobbyist over megaprojects legislation
- Capitol News Illinois: Illinois House approves megaprojects bill, but the Bears want changes
- Capitol News Illinois: 3 obstacles facing the Bears megaprojects bill
- ITEP: The Bears bill is bad by design
- Patch: Bears near Illinois stadium deal, Arlington Heights favored (Crain’s report)
- CBS Chicago: Chicago Bears prioritize Arlington Heights stadium development