Referendum wake-up call

Posted April 10, 2025 4:00 am

The third attempt to pass a referendum in school District 23 to satisfy a state mandate for full-day kindergarten for the 2027-28 school year has failed again. The taxpayers were asked to support a $19.3-million-dollar referendum that would add approximately $349 dollars to the real estate tax bill for a home valued at $350,000 dollars, roughly a dollar a day.

The school district needs to build six new classrooms to meet the needs of the additional enrollment. Instead of asking the taxpayers for only the new classrooms, they decided to add many extras which included 11 new offices, an occupational therapy room, a FEMA shelter, a library renovation, the relocation of the main office and a new parking lot.

The third loss should be a wake-up call. They need to put a plan together that will get the classrooms built (In the $10 million to $12 million range) and propose the other additional items on a future referendum. Otherwise the classrooms will be of the mobile trailer type.

Martin Marcella

Prospect Heights

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