District 214 to spend $25 million on upgrades ahead of potential referendum
As Northwest Suburban High School District 214 officials contemplate going to taxpayers in what would be its first referendum in decades, the district is set to spend $25 million next year on new basketball court scoreboards in every gym and other infrastructure upgrades.
Even with those projects in and around the Arlington Heights-based district’s six aging school buildings planned in 2026, Superintendent Scott Rowe said the potential tax increase referendum would not encompass the entirety of the district’s facility plan.
“What you will not hear from us is $850 million again,” Rowe said. “Because it never was going to be $850 million even on the best day. That’s not a realistic number. It was sharing a comprehensive plan of what the needs were.
“There will be no March referendum,” Rowe added. “It’s not happening in March.”
The upcoming March 17, 2026, election would have been the soonest the district could have put a question on the ballot, but Rowe and school board members said they want more time to survey the public.
In what will be phase three of a community engagement process led by district-hired consultant EO Sullivan, officials plan to do another round of surveys early next year to sample voter appetite on specific projects tied to specific dollar amounts at each school.
Previous polling in person, by phone and online was more general, in which survey-takers ranked infrastructure, mechanicals, and safety, security and accessibility as the highest priorities. A majority of respondents favored spending $400 million on facility upgrades — characterized by the district as the “low” option of three possible funding levels.
That would yield a yearly tax increase of roughly $198 for the owner of a $396,500 house, according to one estimate.
For now, the district will use budgeted capital and maintenance funds for the work anticipated to start in the spring and conclude by the start of next school year. The projects include:
• $7.2 million at Wheeling High School for demolition and replacement of administrative and student services offices, including new electrical, plumbing, HVAC, lighting, ceilings, walls and flooring; upgrades to the pool mechanical room; and replacement of the 46-year-old auto shop roof.
“We’re actually taking things off of the list of the mechanicals and infrastructure that we’ve been working on and engaging with the community,” Rowe said. “We’re pulling things off of the plan that we’re thinking about in the future whenever we have the opportunity.”
• $2 million at Rolling Meadows High School for repair of the front plaza, which could include replacement of a portion of the main water line, due to failing underground infrastructure. School board President Alva Kreutzer said the improvements will not be “cosmetic.” Previous referendum surveys ranked modernization of main school building entrances as low priority.
• $1.2 million for six new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-capable gymnasium scoreboards with integrated shot clocks, which will be required by the Illinois High School Association for varsity-level basketball games starting next school year. Current scoreboards can’t be retrofitted since new shot clocks won’t properly sync with old game clocks, Rowe said.
To defray costs, the new board will feature scrolling digital ads. The district has secured $110,000 so far after inking a contract with the Power Ad Co. in August to solicit corporate sponsorships.
• $752,260 at Prospect High School to replace a 32-year-old, 270-ton chiller with a new high-efficiency unit. Another old chiller was replaced last year.
• $702,711 at Rolling Meadows for a new controller that will provide individual temperature control to each classroom and allow remote system management. Similar automation systems have been installed at four other buildings.
• $595,961 for black vinyl fencing around the tracks and stadiums at Prospect, Buffalo Grove and John Hersey high schools.
Board members approved bids for the work at their meeting late last week.