By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
At a meeting of the Elmhurst District 205 School Board last week, District Superintendent David Moyer provided the board with details outlining the district’s presentation at four community meetings in May regarding the district’s master facility plan.
The first meeting took place at York High School on May 12. The second meeting took place on May 14 at Churchville Middle School. The upcoming meetings will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Bryan Middle School (on May 23) and at Sandburg Middle School (on May 30).
Moyer noted that his presentation was a rough draft of what the district would take to the community during the four meetings this month. His presentation noted that maintaining the district’s aging buildings is becoming more challenging.
He also noted the four main options the district is considering as it seeks community input in developing a master facility plan. The least expensive option, maintaining the status quo, would require an estimated $26.1 million in repairs to the district’s facilities. The most expensive of the four options, which would include comprehensive improvements at district facilities and completely new facilities for Lincoln Elementary School and Field Elementary School, would have an estimated cost of $168.5 million.
Board member Shannon Ebner asked about the projected time frame to finish the potential renovation and construction projects. Moyer said that if voters approved a referendum to borrow money to pay for improvements, there would likely be three bond issuances, along with staggered construction. He said the potential renovation and construction would take about five years.
Ebner also asked how the district could explain to the community that its debt on previous bonds is expiring. That expiring debt from referendums passed in 2000 and 2006, combined with a stretched-out payback period on potential new debt, would reportedly cause relatively minimal increases to homeowners’ property taxes, even if the community approves the borrowing of up to $168.5 million.
Collins said that the district has missed framing the argument that the community can do so much for so little of an increase because the district will be debt-free beginning in 2025. If the community agrees to extend the current debt load for another 25 years, that will set the district up for success for the next generation, said Collins.
