District 63 officials asking residents for permission to borrow $120.6 million

Voters in the Des Plaines area’s East Maine School District 63 are being asked to approve a tax-rate increase to cover nearly all of a roughly $123 million facilities improvement plan.

Building additions, safety and security upgrades, and infrastructure improvements are among the planned projects. So are efforts that would improve access for people with disabilities.

The plan calls for the district to borrow $120.6 million for the work. An additional $2 million in funding would come from district reserves, spokesperson Jacob Plecker said in an email Monday.

The referendum will appear on ballots for the Nov. 3 election.

If voters approve the plan, the owner of a typical house valued at $350,000 would see property taxes to the district increase by $314 the first year, officials have said. A tax calculator is available for District 63 residents at bit.ly/4rQXUEn.

District 63 has five elementary schools, one middle school, a preschool and a family resource center. Five of the district’s buildings are at least 64 years old, according to the district’s facilities improvement plan.

“Educational needs have changed significantly since they were first built,” an introductory statement to the plan reads.

Additionally, enrollment — now at nearly 3,700 students — has been rising and is expected to continue climbing, Plecker said.

“(That’s) putting extra pressure on the limited space that we have,” he said.

Under the facilities plan, all buildings but the preschool would receive upgrades, with the elementary schools getting the most attention, Plecker said.

Additions at Apollo Elementary School near Des Plaines, Washington School in Glenview, Emma Melzer School in Morton Grove and Mark Twain Elementary in Niles are planned to ease crowding, according to the facilities plan.

Mechanical, electrical and plumbing improvements are proposed, too. Fire safety systems would be updated and new elevators would be installed in the elementary schools, among other improvements.

And thanks to the additions, mobile classrooms would be eliminated, officials pledge.

The board voted Aug. 4 to put the proposal on the ballot. Officials initially considered asking to borrow $163 million but scaled back the plan based on community feedback, Plecker said.

To reduce the price tag, officials reportedly eliminated plans for new gyms and reduced the scope of library renovations and classroom additions, among other changes.

To learn more about the proposal, visit emsd63.org/referendumplan.

District 63 includes parts of Des Plaines, Park Ridge, Glenview, Niles and Morton Grove.

rlissau@dailyherald.com