Prospect Hts. District 23 plans referendum to fund full-day kindergarten, other improvements
With a state deadline to offer full-day kindergarten approaching, Prospect Heights Elementary School District 23 will again ask voters to approve a tax hike to pay for additional classrooms and other building improvements.
The referendum planned for the March 19 primary election asks voter approval for an increase of 0.498% above the limiting rate for the 2022 levy year. The district calculated that the increase would add $145 to the property tax bill for every $100,000 of a home’s fair market value.
A similar request was narrowly defeated in the April 2023 election. But now, under a state law signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August, public school districts in the state must provide full-day kindergarten by the 2027-28 academic year.
“Full-day kindergarten has always been a goal in District 23, but this legislation changes the urgency and speeds up the timeline,” District 23 Superintendent Don Angelaccio said in a statement after the school board voted to add the referendum to the March ballot.
“Unfortunately, the need is not going away and the costs only increase over time,” board President Kevin Novak added. “This referendum provides the necessary funding to meet the district’s short- and long-term needs at the lowest price point.”
The additional funding would be used to renovate and expand Eisenhower Elementary School, including improving security and creating additional classrooms. The district also would use the funding to install security equipment and replace aging and inefficient windows, siding and doors at MacArthur Middle School, Anne Sullivan Elementary School and Betsy Ross Elementary School.
“The district has seen remarkable growth and success over the past decade,” Angelaccio said. “This referendum positions us to continue that path forward into the future. Without community support, the district will need to make cuts to programs and services to meet the new mandate and allocate necessary funds to capital improvement and security projects.”
There will be four community information events in the new year, at which residents will be able to learn more and ask questions.
They will be at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 17 at Eisenhower School, 1 N. Schoenbeck Road; 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 at Anne Sullivan School, 700 N. Schoenbeck Road; 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 at Eisenhower School; and 9 a.m. on Saturday, March 2 at Eisenhower School.
The April referendum was defeated with about 52.5% of voters casting ballors against the measure.