Early reaction favors expansion for District 203

So far, so good.

A wide array of local groups were polled in recent months on the future of aging Naperville Central High School.

And, many of them contacted Tuesday -- a day after the Naperville Unit District 203 school board decided to ask voters for $43 million to help fund a major renovation at Central -- seemed receptive to the plan.

It calls for $115 million worth of building improvements, highlighted by an $87.7 million renovation of Naperville Central.

If the $43 million is approved by voters via a Feb. 5 referendum question, it would cost the average taxpayer -- the owner of a home with a $320,000 taxable value -- an additional $82 a year for 20 years.

Peggy Frank, executive director of Naper Settlement, said as a neighbor of Central, she is happy the school board has decided how to proceed.

"We are also very appreciative the renovation plans are sensitive to the Settlement's long-range vision," she said. "We've always been happy being a neighbor to Naperville Central High School and the two types of functions are very comparable."

Naperville Mayor George Pradel said he supports the district's decision.

"I think they made a wise decision, and they spent hours and hours going out to the public and trying to get their opinions and concerns, and I think the majority of people thought renovation was better than building a new school … and I support that," he said.

A random telephone survey of 400 residents this fall found that roughly 61 percent would support a tax increase for major renovations to Central while 61.5 percent would support minor renovations. Only 31 percent said they would support rebuilding the school.

Several community groups such as the Rotary Club of Naperville and Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation have been staying informed about the district's plans but will not be taking official positions on the referendum question and will instead let members make individual decisions on its merits.

Rotary member Jerry Feldott said he personally feels the district's plan is both energetic and cost effective.

"We have to give young people in the district the opportunity to have mechanical things they need in order to learn, whether it be in labs for physics and chemistry or labs of computer science," he said. "They need to have what they need for tomorrow's endeavors."

Bob Fischer, director of the Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation, said he applauds the district's efforts to keep the community informed. As a taxpayer who no longer has children in the district, he personally likes the renovation plan better than rebuilding the school.

"It's more palatable to look to build on what they have than start from scratch," he said.

But Dan Denys, founder of the Will-DuPage Taxpayers Alliance, said there has not been enough information. He still has unanswered questions about enrollment projections, the improvements at Central and facility issues at other schools that aren't being addressed in this phase of the district's plan.

"In general, I would like to see a well-laid out proposal that would address all 21 schools, and we just don't see anything like that," Denys said.

The Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce has not yet taken a position on the referendum. President and CEO Mike Skarr said the group will discuss the issue Monday.