If referendum fails, District 214 would still ‘chip away’ at repairs, superintendent says
Northwest Suburban High School District 214 officials on Monday revealed their plan B if voters don’t authorize a tax increase for $295 million worth of school building renovations in two weeks.
“If it doesn’t pass, teachers are not going to lose their jobs. We’re not going to cut athletics. We won’t be cutting activities,” Superintendent Scott Rowe said. “We’ll be living in a state where emergency repairs just happen more often. And we can live there. But what we’ll miss is the opportunity to really position the district strategically, and follow our strategic plan, and flip to being in a proactive state.”
During an interview Monday with the Daily Herald, Rowe said the Arlington Heights-based district would use annual operating budgets, reserves and existing bond authority to continue “chipping away” at its extensive capital projects list.
Rowe committed to spending $100 million over the next decade, and could add another $25 million if Cook County tax disbursements aren’t delayed, he said.
But if the Nov. 3 ballot measure does pass, Rowe promised the district wouldn’t return to voters asking for more. The request for additional bonding authority marks the first referendum in 55 years for the state’s second-largest high school district.
“I can confidently say that if we make this investment now, we don’t envision that we would be back in the near term for another request,” he said.
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 $170 for the owner of a home valued at $396,500, officials estimate.
The superintendent and school board members have faced criticism for the timing of their ask amid already high property tax bills, rising inflation and affordability concerns. Critics have also accused district leaders past and present of letting building maintenance needs add up over the years.
But Rowe said the district has spent nearly $200 million on fixes over the last decade, from roof replacements to heating and cooling system upgrades.
At the same time, $2 million worth of unplanned emergency repairs have been done in each of the last three years. This year’s work includes fixing a leaking roof at John Hersey High School, a buckled gym floor at Prospect High School, and sewer pipe backups at Wheeling High School — the latter of which involved replacing 300 feet of pipe in the main hallway over Labor Day weekend.
“This emergency expense got infinitely more expensive because of the labor in a crisis and over a holiday. So that is our future. These surprises will continue to happen,” Rowe said. “And we’re prepared to tackle them with that $100 million over the next 10 years. We’ll just always be chasing that proactive position we’re attempting to be in.”
He said he wants to shift from planning five years ahead of time — as the district has for years — to a 10-to-20-year view.
How much work could be done in that time? $850 million, per Arcon Associates’ facilities assessment of all 1,400 assets districtwide in 2022.
Rowe admits that number was “a shock” to the community, but it spurred officials to prioritize projects and narrow the scope to safety and security, infrastructure, mechanicals, and classroom spaces.
If voters approve the plans in November, district officials plan to issue their first set of bonds sometime in 2027, with first projects scheduled to break ground in the winter of 2027 or later in 2028, Rowe said.
Highest priority items include replacing air conditioning systems and old boilers, and improving handicapped accessibility of stadium and gym bleachers, he said.
Not all $295 million would come from one bond issuance — there would likely be two or three, Rowe said — but it’s the intention of district officials to finish the work in three to four years.
“Because of the 5% inflation we’re seeing in construction each year, we’re motivated to complete this work as fast as we reasonably can,” he said.
cplacek@dailyherald.com