District 200 asking voters for funds for improvements

On April 4, residents of Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 will vote on a referendum question that aims to address facility needs at 19 of our 20 school buildings.

In 2014, the school board embarked on a strategic community engagement program that yielded a set of recommendations from our residents. One key recommendation was to create a comprehensive facility master plan that integrated the existing capital facilities plan (physical improvements) with an educational assessment of our facilities.

For more than two years, our board has researched, studied, discussed and prioritized the creation and implementation of a facility master plan - all while consistently encouraging community participation to solicit critical input.

The resulting facility master plan addresses needs at 19 of 20 schools. More than half of the identified projects are needed capital improvements across the district. Capital projects include paving, roofing, flooring, mechanical, electrical, doors, windows and plumbing.

Other projects include reinforcing secured entry access at eight schools; significant improvements at three of our four middle schools, including library and science lab projects; library projects at our elementary schools; a tech lab at Wheaton North; a library renovation at Wheaton Warrenville South; and construction of a new early learning center.

When I talk to people in the community, they certainly validate the fact that the quality of our educational offerings and school buildings are tremendous assets in the community. They perceive a quality school district as being essential to keeping property values elevated in the community.

To support our students in reaching their highest level of learning and personal development, we have to make sure our facilities are in good working condition and are supporting a 21st century learning environment.

The facility plan our board has put on the April ballot is the community's plan and is directly derived from community input. It is a comprehensive plan that addresses critical capital projects, creates educational parity across the district, and takes advantage of economies of scale derived from phasing in multiple projects.

The board has committed savings and future budget allocations to minimize the impact for our taxpayers.

Finally, with the intention of avoiding a capital referendum in future years, the board implemented a new policy, the Sherman-Dergis policy, that requires an annual budget allocation for capital projects.

If you need more information or have questions, I encourage you to visit cusd200.org/facilities, email communications@cusd200.org or call (630) 682-2469.

Thank you, truly, for your willingness to share feedback on our plan and for taking time to learn and ask questions about the plan. Please vote on Tuesday, April 4.

• Jeff Schuler is superintendent of Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200. His column appears monthly in Neighbor during the school year.