The Townes at Barclay is M/I Homes' 42-unit townhome community at the northeast corner of Barclay Boulevard and Aptakisic Road. Every home shares the same builder, the same three-bedroom floor plans and the same $398 monthly HOA fee. The Village of Lincolnshire's fall 2026 newsletter adds a detail that isn't on the price list. About half of the homes fall within Lincolnshire Elementary District 103 attendance boundaries and half within Buffalo Grove, and all of them belong to Stevenson High School District 125.
That boundary also divides tax rates. In Lake County's tax year 2025 figures, the elementary district serving the Buffalo Grove side levies a noticeably higher rate than District 103. Two townhomes with the same floor plan, finishes and HOA can carry different property tax bills because of a line that buyers can't see from the sidewalk.
What Buyers Are Comparing at 100 Sterling Drive
Here is how the community stood in early November 2026. M/I's sales center is at 100 Sterling Drive, and the builder lists pricing from $599,990. The homes run roughly 1,900 to 2,400 square feet, with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, attached two-car garages and full basements. According to the Village, model homes are open, construction is continuing, and completion is expected in early 2027.
M/I's own community page names Stevenson High School District 125. That is accurate for every unit. The elementary district is the part that changes from home to home within the development, so it's the part to ask about lot by lot.
Where a Lincolnshire Tax Bill Actually Goes
Start with the split on an existing Lincolnshire bill. The Lake County tax portal shows tax year 2025, payable in 2026, for a single-family home in the Lincolnshire Woodlands subdivision, tax code 16023, which sits in District 103. Here is the full entity breakdown from the county.
| Taxing body | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lincolnshire-Prairie View School District 103 | 3.170174 | $9,249.48 |
| Stevenson High School District 125 | 2.966772 | $8,656.02 |
| Lincolnshire-Riverwoods Fire Protection District | 0.819088 | $2,389.82 |
| County of Lake | 0.519692 | $1,516.28 |
| Vernon Area Public Library District | 0.297299 | $867.42 |
| Village of Lincolnshire | 0.280000 | $816.94 |
| College of Lake County 532 | 0.268542 | $783.52 |
| Forest Preserve | 0.156802 | $457.50 |
| Township of Vernon | 0.119536 | $348.78 |
| Total | 8.597905 | $25,085.76 |
The two school lines together come to about 71% of this bill, and the elementary line alone is about 37%. The Village of Lincolnshire, the government most people picture when they think of "Lincolnshire taxes," takes about 3%. The Village says the same in its FY2026 budget. It describes its share as roughly 3% of a total bill and set an estimated 0.28 rate after taxable assessed value rose nearly 10%.
So the largest single line on a Lincolnshire bill is the one that changes from one side of the Townes at Barclay to the other.
Two Elementary Rates, Fund by Fund
Lake County's tax year 2025 PTAX-253 report for college and school districts lists each district's rate by fund. Aptakisic-Tripp Consolidated School District 102 serves the Buffalo Grove area. Its total is 3.907123. Lincolnshire-Prairie View District 103 comes in at 3.170174.
| Fund | District 102 rate | District 103 rate | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bonds & Interest | 0.454556 | 0.034333 | 0.420223 |
| Educational | 2.766754 | 2.484712 | 0.282042 |
| Operation & Maintenance | 0.373205 | 0.324694 | 0.048511 |
| Transportation | 0.159450 | 0.177995 | −0.018545 |
| Total, all funds | 3.907123 | 3.170174 | 0.736949 |
The Bonds & Interest line accounts for about 57% of the gap, and that line repays debt. District 103's bond rate is close to zero. District 102's bond rate is more than thirteen times as high. District 103 does carry debt. Its FY2024 annual financial report showed $12,139,887 in long-term principal outstanding at June 30, 2024, including general obligation bonds and debt certificates issued between 2015 and 2020. Its tax year 2025 levy for repayment is small, though.
The 2023 Vote on District 102's Side
District 102's side of the line has a recent borrowing decision behind it. In April 2023, voters there considered a $49 million building referendum for infrastructure, safety and overcrowding work at the district's junior high. Journal & Topics reported that the measure trailed 657 to 648 on election night. After late mail ballots were added, it led 792 to 734 in unofficial totals as of April 11, 2023.
The same Journal & Topics report estimated what approval would cost owners. A $500,000 home would pay about $634 more per year, a $725,000 home about $934 more, and the increase would last "for the next two decades." At its June 26, 2023 meeting, the District 102 board approved Nicholas & Associates as construction manager for its referendum projects.
A two-decade timeline matters to a townhome buyer. A rate gap tied to repaying a building program is the kind of cost that tends to stay on a bill for years, and an HOA board has no say in it.
Running the Gap Through One Real Bill
To see the gap in dollars, apply District 102's rate to the same Lincolnshire Woodlands bill above and leave every other line as it is:
- The District 103 line is $9,249.48 at a rate of 3.170174, which implies a taxable value of about $291,770 for that home in tax year 2025.
- At District 102's 3.907123 rate, the same taxable value would produce an elementary line of about $11,400.
- That is about $2,150 more per year, or roughly $179 a month, and the total bill rises from $25,085.76 to about $27,236.
That home is a larger single-family house, and a new townhome will have its own taxable value once it is assessed. A simpler measure carries over to any home. At the tax year 2025 rates, the gap works out to about $737 a year, roughly $61 a month, for every $100,000 of taxable value.
For comparison, the Townes at Barclay HOA is $398 a month, or $4,776 a year. On a home with a few hundred thousand dollars of taxable value, the district gap can approach half the HOA. The HOA is printed in the builder's materials. The district gap shows up later, on a county tax bill.
Why This Matters More for New Construction
On a resale home, the seller's prior tax bills show the history before you write an offer. A townhome still under construction doesn't have that record yet. Buyers comparing two units in the same building phase are often looking at plans, elevations, upgrade sheets and lot premiums, and the paperwork that sets the future tax bill is usually not part of that comparison.
The elementary district assignment for a specific lot, and the Lake County tax code that comes with it, is information to request in writing early in the process. On the Lincolnshire side, code 16023 is one example of a District 103 tax code, and code 16076 shows up on a Lincolnshire parcel in District 102. The district and tax code tied to each Townes at Barclay lot are the details to confirm.
This post is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice. Please confirm the details of any specific home with the county, the builder and your own tax or legal professional.
Quick Answers
Do all Townes at Barclay homes attend the same high school district? Yes. The Village says all 42 homes belong to Stevenson High School District 125.
Where do the tax rates come from? From the Lake County Clerk's tax year 2025 PTAX-253 report, with bills payable in 2026. Individual bills can be looked up on the Lake County tax portal by parcel.
Does the HOA fee differ by district? M/I lists a single $398 monthly HOA fee for the community.
Will these rates hold for future years? Rates are set every tax year from each district's levy and its total assessed value, so the tax year 2025 figures are a starting point for comparison.
If you're weighing two Lincolnshire townhomes that look identical on paper, the Gina Shad Team can help you pin down the lot, the district and the tax code before you commit, and if you're selling nearby, show you how buyers are comparing new construction with your home. Request your complimentary home valuation & marketing plan.
