Endorsement: Yes on construction in Glen Ellyn Elementary School District 41

Glen Ellyn Elementary District 41 has 10 portable classrooms at Hadley Junior High School that have become nearly permanent in more than a decade of use. Initially, the district needed more space to hold class sizes to around 27 students as technology and teaching methods changed the way classrooms are used. The district's enrollment has held steady and is projected to stay in the range of 3,500 to 3,600 students for the next five years. The space problem isn't going away.

Portable classrooms create security issues as students move between the main building and the units. In high winds, the portables must be evacuated - and the students moved into makeshift classes in the library, cafeteria, hallways and other spaces inside Hadley.

The district is asking voters to approve a $24.2 million construction plan that would include a $9.2 million, 10-room classroom addition to replace Hadley's portable units. The district also would make state-mandated health and life-safety improvements at Hadley and the four elementary schools, reconfigure the entryway at Churchill Elementary to improve security and create a separate, off-street bus lane at Hadley.

The request comes as the district is paying off existing debt. The new loans would replace some of that debt, meaning a Glen Ellyn homeowner with a $373,200 house would expect to pay $248 less beginning next year but instead would pay $126 less if the plan is approved.

The work District 41 seeks to do is necessary and is planned to minimize the financial impact on property tax payers. The Daily Herald recommends voting yes.