CRYSTAL LAKE – District 155 school board members backed a $2 million abatement that will ease the local tax burden on property owners.

Under the levy approved late last year, the owners of a $300,000 home would have seen their property-tax bills go up $117. The abatement brings that figure down to a $55 increase, district officials said.

“I think whatever we can do to lessen the tax consequence for taxpayers, we’ve got to do that,” District 155 school board President Ted Wagner said. “The board believes we have sufficient cash to abate this.”