Millions in school projects, pool upgrades are on ballots in DuPage County

Money for school improvements and park district amenities are issues voters in parts of DuPage County will decide in the March election.

Here’s a look at the major referendum questions on their ballots:

Glenbard High School District 87

Voters are being asked to allow the district to borrow $183 million to make improvements to its four high schools.

The district has outlined $312 million in projects for the Glenbard schools, which range from 51 to 100 years old. Improvements would be covered by the $183 million the district is seeking from voters and $129 million from the district’s operating budget over the next 10 years.

If approved, the request would cost the owner of a home valued at $300,000 an estimated annual tax payment increase on proposed building bonds of about $178.

The district would issue the bonds in at least two separate phases. The timing will depend on finding competitive rates to minimize interest costs, officials say. The staggered approach also would provide the district with funds appropriate to the construction schedule, officials say.

The impact on taxpayers is such that the $178 average increase would not occur at once initially. For example, it may translate to a $90 increase in 2025 and an additional $88 in 2027.

District 87 serves nearly 8,000 high school students in Glen Ellyn, Glendale Heights, Carol Stream and Lombard, along with parts of Hanover Park, Bloomingdale, Addison, Downers Grove and Wheaton.

Proposed improvements vary by high school but generally include renovations to entryways, upgrading science labs, renovating cafeterias to ease crowding, relocating common area to increase student access to support services such as social workers and counselors, adding windows to bring in more natural light and replacing flooring and lighting where needed.

“Our biggest asset in the community are our students, and Glenbard has a great reputation of fostering an environment where students thrive,” District 87 Superintendent David Larson said. “Our educational environmental spaces need to be versatile to accommodate learning experiences that are more engaging and deeper ... our students deserve educational spaces that match their efforts, their talents and high level of achievement.”

In 2014, voters approved a $35 million borrowing request to build a science addition to Glenbard West, address mechanical systems, such as heating and cooling, and fund roof and parking lot repairs at schools.

Fenton High School District 100

The district is seeking voter permission to borrow $65 million for classroom renovations and repairs to its 1950s-era high school.

The district’s ballot measure is a scaled-back version of a $99 million plan voters rejected in November 2022.

A 1975 referendum campaign resulted in the auditorium, a two-story classroom wing, the field house and the career and technical education classrooms.

“Our kids deserve better. They need 21st-century classrooms and learning spaces and facilities,” Superintendent James Ongtengco said.

The district used $10 million in cash reserves last year for a flooding mitigation project on the campus.

The district is now proposing to issue bonds to update security systems, modernize and expand some classrooms, renovate locker rooms and improve programming and career learning spaces. The money also would allow the district to replace an old fire alarm system, install a sprinkler system, repair masonry and address other building issues.

“It’s not an expansion,” Ongtengco said. “It’s just a renovation, fixing the nuts and bolts, which is the infrastructure and safety.”

If approved, the owner of a home valued at $229,000 ‒ the average in Wood Dale and Bensenville ‒ would pay an estimated $222 in additional property taxes to the district annually.

Roselle Park District

The district will ask voters if it can issue $7 million in bonds for a range of projects across the parks system. The district would use the money to upgrade Kemmerling Pool, install new playground equipment in Kemmerling Park, reconfigure the fitness center inside Clauss Recreation Center and repave trails. The district also would fund reforestation and natural area restoration efforts in parks.

“We’re touching all areas of Roselle,” district Executive Director Lynn McAteer said. “This is an investment in every single neighborhood, from the northwest corner down to the southeast corner. Everybody’s going to get to recognize some of the investment here.”

If voters approve the bond request, the park district’s share of the property tax bill would increase by an estimated $72 a year for the owner of a home valued at $332,000.

The district would spend an estimated $4 million of the referendum money to add a splash pad, updated pool infrastructure and safety features as well as shaded spaces to Kemmerling. The district’s old splash pad, at Turner Park, was removed because of disrepair.

The referendum plan also calls for removing up to 200 diseased ash trees and planting a diverse mix of new ones in Goose Lake, Engel, Kidtowne, Odlum, Chatburg, New Castle and Kemmerling parks. In addition, the district would widen and repave trails at Engel, Goose Lake, and Kemmerling parks to bring those walking and biking paths up to accessibility standards.

Officials will continue to host informational meetings about the proposed projects leading up to the primary election. Sessions are scheduled at the Clauss Recreation Center from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 31, and from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. More information will be shared at rparks.org/futureparks.

Other questions

Also in Roselle, village officials are seeking home-rule authority to raise funds for infrastructure projects.

Addison, Bloomingdale, Milton, Wayne and Winfield townships are asking their voters for permission to enter into contracts for residential waste hauling services in the unincorporated areas of the townships.

Currently, residents in unincorporated areas in the four townships can secure their own waste-hauling service. A move to a single waste hauler in a township could result in fewer trucks on the residential streets, officials noted.