District 300 seeking voter approval for $355 million referendum

Algonquin-based Community Unit District 300 has been working to get the word out about the $355.5 million referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot to fund a new career and technical education center and 20 proposed security-related capital projects.

The proposed bond issue faces opposition from those who believe residents are already paying enough in taxes.

Each project the district is proposing is in response to a need, Superintendent Martina Smith told those who attended a community meeting last week at Westfield Community School in Algonquin. It was one of several held by the district, with another set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, at Hampshire Middle School.

If the measure is approved, the owner of a home valued at $400,000 would pay an $101 more in annual property taxes to District 300, district data indicates.

The referendum would authorize the district to sell bonds that would be repaid over 25 years, Chief Financial Officer Frank Williams said. Officials also plan to use $87 million from a 2006 bond sale, which would be refinanced for another four years.

If the referendum fails, several projects would not move forward, Smith said. However, with enrollment expected to grow, some schools run the risk of becoming overcrowded and maintenance of aging buildings will be delayed, she said.

District 300 plans to do safety and security enhancements regardless of whether the measure passes, but it’s possible other projects would be eliminated, Smith said.

“Had enough? Vote no on the District 300 Tax Referendum” signs have been popping up in district communities, some of which were funded by Algonquin Township Republicans.

The organization made the decision to oppose the measure because “people are just tired of getting taxed left and right,” Chair Bruce Johnson said. The organization has been passing out signs, providing information in newsletters and doing social media posts.

“We are not opposed to student safety at all, but $355.5 million seems quite out of line,” Johnson said.

The Kane County Republican Party is also opposed, Johnson said.

“Everybody is getting squeezed right now,” he added. “We’d all like brand-new schools and a training building, but we have to put food on our tables. We have not seen any effort by D300 to reduce its budget.”

District officials recently unveiled the tentative 2027-28 budget that calls for $437 million in spending and $414 million in revenues, resulting in a $22.9 million deficit that the district plans to cover with money it has in reserves.

Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The (Elgin) Courier-News).