District 25 planning eight public forums ahead of June referendum
Arlington Heights Elementary District 25 has announced a series of community forums in April and May to discuss plans for a $75 million referendum question on June's ballot to fund full-day kindergarten and building upgrades.
The public forums, to be hosted by Superintendent Lori Bein and district staff, will be held at all seven District 25 elementary schools and the Arlington Heights Memorial Library.
The announcement comes in conjunction with the launch of a website, sd25.org/Build25, that details the district's ask for additional borrowing authority and an overview of finances and construction plans.
District officials want to build 25 new classrooms across six of the seven elementary schools to house expanded kindergarten programming, and fund five years' worth of infrastructure projects throughout the district.
Bein and her team plan to share details of the plans and take questions at each meeting. All are scheduled from 7 to 8:30 p.m. except the one in the library's Hendrickson Room, which is planned from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, May 19.
Here are the dates of the forums that will be held in the commons area of each school:
• Tuesday, April 12: Dryden.
• Tuesday, April 26: Ivy Hill.
• Wednesday, April 27: Greenbrier.
• Monday, May 2: Olive-Mary Stitt.
• Tuesday, May 3: Patton.
• Wednesday, May 18: Westgate.
• Thursday, May 19: Windsor.
The school board agreed last month to put a question on the June 28 ballot seeking voter approval to issue up to $75 million in bonds. The kindergarten classroom additions are estimated to cost $32.2 million to $42.6 million, while the five-year capital plan would cost $32.9 million, officials said.
If voters approve, the measure would cost the owner of an average $400,000 home an extra $300 in property taxes a year, or $25 a month.
After completing additional architectural designs and traffic studies, selling bonds, going out to bid and getting necessary village approvals, the new kindergarten classrooms would be targeted to open in August 2024.
This is District 25's first referendum since 2005.