Endorsement: Yes to upgrades in Maine Township High School District 207

Any way you slice it, the $195 million bond issue Maine Township High School District 207 is asking voters to approve Nov. 6 is a big request, one that would see the typical Des Plaines homeowner pay nearly $225 more in annual property taxes over 20 years. District 207 seeks the money to fund part of a $240 million plan to modernize and improve security at its three high schools, the youngest of which is more than 50 years old. The district has proved itself a good steward of its taxpayers' money - evidenced by its AAA bond rating and lowest cost-per-pupil rank among comparable suburban districts. It's leaders aren't capricious about asking voters to raise their taxes; this is district's first referendum since 1973. As its leaders note, Maine Township high schools were built for a long-gone-by era of education. Voters should help steer them into the future and say yes to the referendum.