Voters in Kaneland School District 302 in the April 4 election will get to decide whether to approve a bond issue by the district of $57.5 million for a construction plan to make improvements to Kaneland High School, which was originally built in 1958.
If the referendum question is approved, property taxes would increase approximately $244 annually on a home with a market value of $280,000 in the district, officials said.
“Our high school is 65 years old and has significant infrastructure and mechanical needs throughout the high school,” District 302 Superintendent Todd Leden said.
The high school has about 1,300 students.
A master facility plan developed three years ago originally identified 10 projects that needed to be done at the school. That number was whittled down after surveying the community, the superintendent said.
“It’s a tough financial time for many families so as a result of the survey we found that the community would be comfortable with a construction plan” that was smaller, he said.
“The board reviewed the options and narrowed the options to six projects,” Leden said.
Nearly 1,400 members of the Kaneland community provided input on the proposal, Leden said.
He said the six projects would make the high school safer and more efficient, modernize learning environments for students and teachers plus provide students with more resources and improved athletic facilities.
Some of the proposed improvements include updates to classrooms and science labs, upgrades to technology and door replacements.
Library improvements are in the plan as well to create a more collaborative learning environment, according to officials.
Corridor improvements would be made including the main entrance corridor to promote safer student flow. The plan also proposes to repurpose a cafe and concessions area to create a personalized learning commons area providing a center for student activity.
Some of the proposed updates to student resources and support include developing a special education area in a more central and accessible location, officials said.
There are also proposed improvements to aging infrastructure and mechanical systems include roofs, air conditioning, boilers, water heaters and maintenance facilities, according to officials.
The proposed improvements also include a reconfigured campus site including work on entrances and parking to improve safety.
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Some of the proposed improvements to athletic facilities include a new stadium with an expanded eight-lane track, a synthetic turf field and additional seating, restrooms and parking. Other upgrades planned include renovating and expanding the high school tennis courts and relocating the baseball/softballs fields into a new complex.
Additions to Kaneland High School were made in 1962, 1969, 1993, 1996, 2004 and 2006, officials said.
The district is not proposing to build a new high school due to the cost.
“A new high school would have been too expensive and past the consensus of the community feedback,” Leden said.
The estimated cost to build a new high school is roughly $190 million, he said.
The last building referendum question on the ballot in the district was in 2009 when Harter Middle School was built, the superintendent said.
The outstanding building bonds for Harter Middle School will be paid off in about five years. When the bonds are paid off, taxes would come down about $700 a year for the average household, officials said.
If voters give their approval on April 4, the design phase on the new projects would begin in the summer, with a completion of the projects in the fall of 2025.
The district has been hosting sessions to provide residents with information on the referendum question. The next in-person session will be held at 7 p.m. March 15 in the Kaneland High School library.
In a letter to Kaneland families Leden said that the “improvements will provide a better school experience for all our students and teachers, which benefits every member of our Kaneland community. Students will have a richer, more well-rounded experience in a welcome and collaborative environment. This will create a renewed sense of Kaneland Pride in our school facilities.”
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.