District 203 asking voters for $43 million

Naperville Unit District 203 will go to referendum in February to ask voters for a $43 million tax increase to pay for facility improvements.

The school board unanimously approved $114.9 million in projects around the district Monday recommended by Superintendent Alan Leis, including an $87.7 million renovation for Naperville Central High School.

"Our intent is to improve our schools and offer ongoing quality to provide excellence in teaching and learning," board President Suzyn Price said. "And there's a life cycle in a school just like ... in a community with your streets and bridges, that you have to maintain them, and if you don't maintain them you're going to run into problems down the road."

The district has been studying the issue for nearly four years, including a 2005 architectural study of each of its buildings. Most of the projects the board approved were those recommended by its facilities committee, which spent six months exploring the district's options.

Naperville Central has been the focal point of the plans as a building officials say is aging and lacks the appropriate spaces to deliver its curriculum. The district's $87.7 million renovation plan for the school would affect about 75 percent of the building in some way. For example, a major remodel is planned for the three-story wing that would house many of the core subject areas, including new science labs.

The plan also calls for building an $11 million early childhood center and spending $7.3 million for an addition and renovation of Mill Street Elementary. The decision of whether to change boundaries around Mill would be put off for another year or two so the district can further study enrollment trends.

Other projects include $5.2 million for Naperville North to install synthetic turf, deepen the pool and improve pool locker rooms and outside traffic areas. About $700,000 would be spent on security enhancements at Prairie and Ranch View elementary schools and Washington Junior High. An additional $3 million would be set aside for program contingencies.

Board member Mike Jaensch questioned how the district would keep costs under control while the projects are under way. Architectural consultants said they have built additional contingencies and escalation factors into their estimates and will tweak the plans as necessary along the way to try to stay within the district's parameters.

The district already has $71.9 million in funding for facilities available from operating surpluses, property sales, interest income and bonds to be repaid from Cantera, a tax increment financing district.

That leaves $43 million that must come from taxpayers by way of a Feb. 5 referendum. If approved, the average homeowner would pay an additional $82 a year in property taxes for 20 years.

After the district's last referendum in 2002, it collected millions more than it told taxpayers to expect, which officials attribute in part to home values going up more than projected. But the upcoming tax increase is for a fixed debt and won't be affected by such factors.

Two district parents -- Beth Ashley and Jim Dennison -- have already agreed to co-chair a committee of residents that will campaign for the projects.

"We're excited about support for this because it is a very worthwhile investment in our future, in the future of our learning community," Dennison said.