Trustees are urging village residents to approve a $173 million bond proposal for Elgin Unit School District 46 in the March 15 primary.
The district hopes to use the money to build a new high school at Bartlett and Schick Roads in Bartlett, four new elementary schools and additions onto existing schools while upgrading educational equipment and technology and balancing future budgets.
Without the money from the bond issue, U-46 would have to cut more than $12 million to balance next year’s budget, officials said. Increased class size, fewer staff members and less space are all likely without the referendum’s passage, officials said.
If approved, the bond issue is expected to raise a homeowner’s taxes 24 percent and add from $200 to $300 onto a typical resident’s annual tax bill.
Hoping their endorsement will help, trustees voted 4-1 last week to approve a resolution urging residents to vote “yes” on the referendum proposal. The resolution also asked U-46 to continue trying to cut its budget and eliminate needless expenditures.
Although he agreed with the bond proposal and planned to vote for its passage, lone dissenter Thomas Floyd said he “didn’t think it proper to encourage our community to vote one way or another” in another governing body’s referendum.
But the only public school district that serves Bartlett is U-46, noted Trustee T. L. Arends.
“We’re all directly affected, even though the district itself is beyond our natural boundaries,” Arends said. “We have every right to lend our support to the district.”