Approves placing referendum question at 11th hour
By Chris Fox
For The Elmhurst Independent
The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board voted unanimously during Monday night’s special meeting to place a referendum question on the ballot in the upcoming general election of Nov. 6, 2018. The referendum will ask voters to approve the borrowing of $168.5 million to pay for improvements to the district’s facilities. Those improvements, which are outlined in the district’s proposed master facilities plan, include full replacements of Lincoln Elementary School and Field Elementary School.
All seven board members attended Monday’s special meeting at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. They voted to approve a resolution that places the question onto the Nov. 6 ballot. (See story on pg. 1 for exact verbiage of question.)
Approval goes right up to deadline
The board had to act no later than Monday, Aug. 20, to be able to place the referendum question on the ballot in the Nov. 6 election. The board had intended to vote on the issue at its regular meeting on Aug. 14. Early in that meeting, Board President Kara Caforio read a statement that said the board would delay its vote because Board members had just learned that Superintendent Dr. David Moyer had applied for a superintendent’s position in another state. Moyer reportedly withdrew his application for that position. Caforio said on Aug. 14 that the board wanted time to further discuss Moyer’s commitment to District 205.
Caforio read another statement at the beginning of Monday’s meeting.
“Concerned about the potential loss of Dr. Moyer’s leadership at this critical time for the district, the board delayed voting on the referendum in order to meet with Dr. Moyer,” said Caforio in a portion of her statement. Caforio joined fellow board member Karen Stuefen, who is the chair of the board’s performance management committee, to meet with Moyer on Aug. 16. The entire board held a meeting with Moyer on Aug. 17.
“As a result of these productive meetings, the board is confident in Dr. Moyer’s commitment to District 205,” said Caforio in Monday’s statement. ” The board recognizes the major milestones the district has made under his leadership and is in alignment with the vision for the district.”
Caforio then gave Moyer the opportunity to make a statement.
Commitment to community affirmed
“I’ve worked very hard to facilitate the development of a master facilities plan for the district that would require a referendum because I believe it is necessary and the right thing for this community,” said Moyer in part of his statement. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many community members who have supported our work over the past three-plus years.
“This past week I’ve been reassured that the District 205 Board of Education shares the vision and mission that our educators have worked so hard to implement and fulfill. Independent of the success or failure of any future ballot initiative, knowing that the board is committed to our efforts to ensure District 205’s place as a national leader in future-ready learning, I can comfortably say without hesitation that I am committed to seeing this work through and reaffirming my commitment to District 205.”
In his comments, Moyer did not make any reference to his application for the out-of-state superintendent’s position.
Caforio added that Monday’s vote was the culmination of three years of intense engagement with the school community to shape and define the future of District 205, which sought community feedback as it developed a comprehensive master facilities plan.
“We were elected to lead our community and oversee its investment in our schools,” she said. “The board does not take this responsibility lightly.”
Tax impact on average homeowner
According to the district, if approved, the $168.5 million referendum would have an additional annual tax impact of about $150 on the owner of a home valued at $500,000. The district would reportedly pay back the borrowed money over a period of 25 years.
The total cost of replacing both Field Elementary School and Lincoln Elementary School would account for about 38 percent of the proposed referendum bond issue. According to estimates provided by the district’s architect, building a new Field Elementary School would cost about $29 million. Building a new Lincoln Elementary School would cost up to $35.2 million. Lincoln School is over 100 years old. Field School is nearly 90 years old.
Board member John McDonough moved to place the question on the ballot during Monday’s meeting. Board member Shannon Ebner seconded the motion. All seven board members then spoke about why they supported placing the question onto the ballot this November.
Board members weigh in on Master Plan
McDonough described the district’s master facilities plan as a great plan. He also noted that district voters last passed a referendum in 2006. The passage of that referendum allowed the district to issue about $54 million in bonds to upgrade facilities and refund portions of outstanding debt.
Ebner noted that the district reached thousands of community members during the engagement process of the last three years. She said the community should have the opportunity to decide if the district should borrow the money to implement its master facility plan.
Board member Jim Collins said that issuing $168.5 million in bonds would typically require an enormous property tax increase, but he said the proposed referendum would generate a relatively small increase because the district refinanced its debt during the economic downturn that took place following the 2006 referendum. Collins also said the district chose to shorten the duration of its debt repayment schedule, which he said saved district taxpayers over $15 million. Collins also noted that he has lived in Elmhurst all his life. He said that if the upcoming referendum does not pass, the board would need to listen and learn why it did not pass.
Stuefen stated that the district are not able to use operating funds to pay for capital building needs. She said districts typically seek a referendum every five to seven yeas to address facility needs. She said that by putting the question onto the ballot, the board would hear the voice of the community.
Board member Chris Blum described the district’s proposed master facilities plan as a generational commitment. He said the board engaged in rigorous questioning and discussion to formulate the plan. Board member Margaret Harrell said that by putting the question on the ballot, the board is turning the decision back to the community. Harrell encouraged community members to vote their consciences. Whatever the outcome, Harrell said the board will all learn and improve the future of the district.
Shortly before the vote, Caforio noted that as a parent, she has had children in District 205 schools for 12 years. She said she has listened to and participated in discussions about the district’s facilities for years. She also said that as a former teacher, she believes that the state of the district’s facilities impacts students’ education. Caforio said it is no small thing to consider putting a question on the ballot that asks taxpayers to increase their tax bill. She described the referendum as much more than just an investment in facilities.
“It’s an investment in future opportunities for our children, and our children’s children,” said Caforio.
