District 200 requests are extravangant

The upcoming referendum by Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 to raise more than $132 million for school projects, has me concerned. The bond revenue will be used for, among other things, building a new Early Childhood Center, and a performing arts center at one of the middle schools.

I attended one of the district's information forums, but still walked away with concerns that the district has created a plan that is lavish. Elements of the plan replace roofs, fix parking lots and install new boilers. These things wear out with time, but I wonder why these haven't been incrementally budgeted for over time for each school. This would make their funding via a referendum unnecessary.

I question the extravagance of building a performing arts center for middle schoolers. My children, who previously attended school in the District 200 area, participated in performing arts yet had no special facility. The programs were carried out just fine.

The district has at least one unused school, and I find it hard to believe, as was explained, that refurbishing this facility would have a similar cost to building a new Early Childhood Center from scratch: especially when one considers the high cost for the relatively small number of additional children served.

My final concern stems from District 200's earlier construction of Hubble Middle School. The school has classrooms sitting empty due to low enrollment. The price tag ballooned with amenities such as a fitness room for the middle-schoolers - another unnecessary extravagance.

In the end, I don't have confidence that having the average homeowner's taxes raised by $180 to $300-plus per year for 20 years is necessary or fiscally responsible. I will vote "no" on the referendum and urge other District 200 homeowners to do the same.

Ken List

Wheaton