Nearly four years after voters rejected a much larger proposal, Winnetka District 36 officials are now hoping residents will say yes to scaled-back bond sale referendum intended to upgrade the schools.
On Nov. 8, Winnetka voters will decide the fate of a $59.4 million borrowing plan as district officials believe enhancements are necessary at all five District 36 schools.
District 36 officials estimate the total cost of the project would be $82.6 million. In addition to the proceeds of the bond sale referendum, the district has already spent $14 million as part of a three-year capital plan and then $9 million in reserves would be used for the balance of the project.
For taxpayers, the impact would be an additional estimated $929 per year in property taxes on a home valued at $1 million for the next 20 years, according to District 36 officials.
Proponents believe the proposed upgrades are necessary for the 1,677 students that attend District 36, which is currently debt-free.
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“This plan touches all five schools and it takes care of the critical needs at those five schools to maintain them and have them be safe, healthy places where families can send their kids to school,” Board President Emily Rose said.
Some of the features of the plan include new secure entry vestibules, improvements to the electrical systems and either the installation or upgrading of HVAC systems at all five schools.
On an individual basis, Hubbard Woods would get a new multipurpose room/cafeteria. At Crow Island, three new classrooms would be constructed replacing the use of some trailers now being used for classes. The current gym would be converted to a multipurpose room/cafeteria allowing for the building of a new gym.
Finally, the Skokie School would remain open, a departure from the 2019 proposal where the school was to consolidate with Carleton Washburne.
“It is upgrading our buildings to a more current standard that is reflective of what secure building for children actually looks like today,” Superintendent Kelly Tess said.
Now it is a matter if the voters will like the slimmed down plan. In 2019, over 63% of voters said no to a $90.6 million bond sale referendum.
Afterward, the school district retained a consulting firm hired to collect data on why the measure was not supported.
“They really value their neighborhood schools, the architecture and the message was we want to preserve what we have,” Tess said.
The district formed a citizens task force, in what Tess labeled a representative group of Winnetka residents, including opponents to the 2019 referendum and sought their feedback. Telephone and mail polls followed.
Tess said based on the feedback that was received, officials believe there is support in the community for this plan.
“The big takeaway was this is an appropriate ask. This is what the schools need,” Tess said.
However, despite the smaller request this time, opposition remains within the community.
A Facebook page named Better Plan Winnetka with 15 followers criticized the proposal in a public letter.
“With careful study, we attempted to convey the importance of an essentials-only plan to the school board before this plan was put on the ballot; their adherence to the expansionist plan compels us to urge a “no” vote,” a portion of the letter reads.
Katie Scullion, a former District 36 strategic plan member and a former chair of the Winnetka Caucus Schools Committee, opposed the 2019 plan. While she supports the proposed HVAC improvements, Scullion questions other parts of the proposal.
“This plan expands facilities despite significant enrollment decline, makes long-term investments without an updated demographic study, and asserts gym and lunchroom issues are the inequities we care about when there is a refusal to acknowledge or address more than a decade of reading and math disparities,” Scullion said.
Erica Chesney, a parent of a school-aged child, is also opposed to the referendum.
“Our community has high expectations for education and for the past 10 years, the Winnetka Public Schools administration has not been transparent with the community on the educational outcomes and the results of all educational data finds that leadership has not been delivering what Winnetka residents demand for our students,” Chesney said. “Residents should not be asked to pay for new buildings and upgrades until we have transformational leadership that can implement an effective education delivery model that demonstrates student’s performance outcome and growth.”
Tess responded in an email that enrollment is up 5% from last year and is holding “fairly stable.”
At a September board meeting, school board officials acknowledged various growth and achievement goals were not being met at some grade levels in the last school year, but adjustments are being made to reach educational goals.
Scullion maintains District 36 has $3 to $4 million available for capital spending without the referendum. However, CFO Brad Goldstein said it would take 19 years to complete all the envisioned work.
For the school board and the administration, they are hopeful that voters will follow the same path taken by New Trier High School when voters rejected a 2010 referendum, but then supported a smaller plan
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in 2014.“This is a plan that addresses the needs of the schools,” noted Rose. “It is up to each resident to decide whether they would support financially.”
Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelance reporter with Pioneer Press.