Glenbard District 87 Board Agrees To Go To Referendum

Residents who live in the Glenbard District 87 School District will be asked March 18 whether the administration should issue $35 million in bonds to improve the district's four high schools.

The high schools are between 41 and 87 years old, with Glenbard West being the oldest, according to information provided by District 87. The scope of all near-term projects contemplated by the district is around $100 million, with $65 million to be funded out of the district's operations and maintenance budget.

The School Board approved a resolution Monday night to place the following question on the ballot: 

"Shall the Board of Education of Glenbard Township High School District Number 87, DuPage County, Illinois, improve the sites of and alter, repair and equip each of the School District’s four high schools – Glenbard East, Glenbard North, Glenbard South and Glenbard West and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $35,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?"

The master facilities plan improvements have been developed over the past three years. Following is some of the proposed work:

Glenbard North High School

• new tennis courts
• new cooling tower
• replace window and door frames and some metal doors
• refinish main gym floor
• renovate bathrooms
• replace flooring in some classrooms
• replace lighting in auto shop
• replace roof in certain areas
• replace auditorium sound system

Glenbard South High School

• new tennis courts
• replace roof in some areas
• refinish main gym floor
• replace steel doors
• replace flooring in corridor J
• replace mechanical variable air volume boxes
• replace water pipes, ceiling and lights on the lower level
• replace backstop on the baseball field
• restore masonry

Glenbard East High School

• install air conditioning
• replace asphalt paving and curbs at the south parking lot
• replace mechanical unit ventilators at north classroom wing
• replace duct work
• replace roof in some areas
• replace some interior and exterior doors
• replace heat detectors in the two gyms
• provide ADA compliant entrance ramp to the stadium
• provide new LED message sign
• renovate bathrooms in some areas
• replace and repair lockers in the boys' locker room

Glenbard West High School

• install air conditioning
• renovate girls athletic locker rooms
• renovate bathrooms in some areas
• replace light fixtures
• replace flooring in the guidance department
• sealcoat the parking lot by the stadium
• replace of power cables to all ceiling mounted projectors
• clean and fireproof curtains in auditorium
• replace and repair roof
• replace interior doors in some areas
• provide emergency exit at west side of cafeteria

The work would begin after the last day of school in June.

The bond sale would not increase the tax rate for homeowners, as existing bonds would be extended. If the referendum passes, homeowners' taxes will stay the same. According to district documents, for a home worth $265,000 (the median home value) taxes would go down $25 a year if the referendum fails; taxes on a $1 million home would go down $98 a year.

The district recorded a balanced $137 million budget for 2012-13, spends about $14,500 per student annually and maintains more than 1.5 million square feet of space in its four high schools.

Do you think the school should extend bonds in order to repair its four schools? Let us know in the comments.