MHS officials push case for school upgrades

With less than a month until the April election, Mundelein High School administrators met with a small group of local residents Wednesday night to explain why they've proposed extending the district's debt to fund facility improvements.

As is often the case with referendums, many of the people gathered in the school's cafeteria for the presentation were confused by the wording of the ballot question itself, a long and virtually indecipherable paragraph filled with legally required jargon.

So Superintendent Jody Ware and Business Manager Gary Lonquist walked the group through the plan, explaining how the proposal — if approved by voters April 5 — would extend the school's debt to raise $10 million over three years.

“We didn't get to write it,” Ware said after a man in the audience asked about the confusing wording. “We are trying to educate (people) the best we can with fliers and information on our website.”

Ware and other speakers also explained how the proposal won't increase the district's tax rate, something a woman in the crowd was concerned about.

If approved, the loan will be repaid in seven years, Lonquist said. At that point, the tax rate would drop, officials have said.

Roofing repairs, the construction of a new running track and the installation of artificial turf on the football field are among the projects labeled as priorities by officials. They also want to replace single-pane windows in the oldest part of the school, upgrade bathrooms and the electrical system and deepen part of the indoor pool to make it safer for competitive swimmers.

Architect Jason Lembke of Legat Architects spoke to the group about the projects and why each is needed. Age — the school turns 50 this year — was a factor in many cases.

Wednesday's forum was the second held at the school about the referendum. A final public presentation is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22.