‘Not vanity projects’: First District 214 referendum in more than a half century will ask for $295 million to fix buildings

The state’s second-largest high school district is going to referendum for the first time in more than a half-century.

The Northwest Suburban High School District 214 board has voted to place a question on the Nov. 3 ballot that will ask voters to authorize $295 million in new bonding authority for school building renovations.

The 6-0 board vote Thursday night came after years of facilities planning and more intense discussion in recent months about the aging infrastructure needs at the Arlington Heights-based district’s seven campuses. Pushback from some board members led district administrators to pare down their public ask, amid a growing affordability crisis for taxpayers.

“For those that may not financially be able to support a referendum, I do understand that. It is asking for a lot of money,” said board President Frank Fiarito. “But if you look at the items that are on this list, you will see that all of them involve safety and our building facilities. These are not vanity projects. … Teachers can’t teach and students can’t learn if we have buildings that are either too hot, too cold, or they’re just not working.”

The proposed upgrades cover 13 project areas: door hardware and card access; fire alarm systems; elevators; stadium and gym bleachers safety; roofs; windows; pavement; HVAC; boilers; plumbing; electrical; science lab; and theater renovations.

If voters allow the district to issue up to $295 million in school building bonds over a 25-year term, it would yield a yearly tax increase of $101 for the owner of a home valued at $250,000, officials estimate.

For the owner of a $396,500 home, the yearly impact is $170.

For a $500,000 home, it would be $218 a year. For a $750,000 home, it would be $335 a year.

District officials arrived at the $295 million price tag after most board members said late last month they couldn’t support any referendum ask above $300 million.

Still others, including board member Bill Dussling, maintained Thursday the request was “too low” for the amount of building upgrades needed and preferred seeking as much as $375 million. Joe Sagerer supported Superintendent Scott Rowe’s earlier $318 million recommendation.

Mary Kay Baldino called the request “reasonable.”

“While I would love to be able to do even more for our buildings and especially for our students, we are in a not great economic situation,” she said. “While I think there are other things that we would probably like to address in addition to what is on this list, I’m comfortable that we are looking at needs and not wants.”

A facilities assessment four years ago identified some $850 million in potential renovations, but some residents still took exception with the size of the referendum.

“Are we supposed to feel like we got a deal?” said Mary Vicars of Arlington Heights. “While 214 hasn’t had a referendum in 50 years, that’s really nothing to brag about.”

“The district gets more money from the homeowners all the time because our homes’ assessed valuations go up,” she added. “A referendum at this time will be hard on many people.”

The last time the district went to the voters was in 1971 when Buffalo Grove High School was built.

Rowe said he would go into detail about the proposed building renovations during community engagement education sessions this fall.

cplacek@dailyherald.com