Letter: Costly referendum won't boost academics

School district 120 would like to have the voters approve a $175 million referendum. Having served on a school board in the past, I understand the financial issues that our schools face.

Citizens might be unaware of the following; The administration is stating that school capacity is 1,500 students and there are currently 2,200 students enrolled. This is misleading. There have been additions over the years which increased capacity.

The community previously approved a tax increase to build a 55,000 square-foot STEM addition. This was a great addition to the school. But it was very expensive and sold under the premise that test scores would improve. I could not find any information regarding the schools improved scores online. The voters need to understand the value of that investment prior to approving any additional increases.

This referendum will be largely used for infrastructure improvements, not academics.

We need to understand what the administration has done to tighten their belt prior to going to the public for more money.

This funding request is huge and will be a burden on the average resident. According to Google the mean salary of a Mundelein resident is $62,000 whereas 54% of teachers and administrators earn more than $100,000.

They state that the cost will be spread out over three years. For a $300,000 home, the new cost will be an additional $320 in year one, $550 in year two and $690 in year three. Remember, these numbers are on top of what we are currently paying and will be used as a base for future levy increases.

Also, there are many homes in Mundelein that are worth more than $300,000 so the impact is even greater.

I am opposed to this referendum because of the high financial impact to homeowners, the lack of transparency from the administration regarding test score improvement from the prior referendum and that very little will be used for academic purposes. Please vote no.

Keith Voss

Mundelein