ELMHURST, Ill., October 1, 2018 — The Board of Directors of the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce & Industry by special vote late in September passed a resolution of support for the proposed $168.5 million referendum for Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 on the ballot for the November 6 General Election.
Without dissent, the Directors supported the referendum based on a recommendation by the Governmental Affairs Committee made September 18 at a special meeting held at the Chamber.
The Board voted to support the referendum in the belief that quality public educational facilities enhance property values, especially residential, and a quality public school system attracts a more educated and skilled workforce and their families.
Without dissent (and one present vote), the Committee recommended Board support based on three significant areas of need addressed in the referendum as follows:
- Replace outdated facilities with construction at 103-year-old Lincoln Elementary School ($32.5M) and 87-year-old Field Elementary School ($29M), along with expansion and renovation of Edison Elementary School ($18.1M) and Bryan Middle School ($12.5M);
- Install Health Life Safety and Entrance Security upgrades at District 205’s nine other student buildings (five elementary schools, three middle schools, high school and early childhood education center), as included in the project plans above; and
- Repair and renovate the nine student buildings listed above as a result of long-deferred maintenance due to a budget limitation of $1.5M per year related to the State of Illinois’ 1990 property tax cap of the lesser of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 5% .
“I believe that what I said 18 years ago—when our Chamber was the first organization to endorse the $77M referendum that included the rebuilding of York Community High School—still holds true to this day,” stated John R. Quigley, ECCI’s President and CEO since 1999, “and that is that families move to Elmhurst for the public schools for more than any other reason.”
“District 205 receives less state funding than the most of Illinois’ public school districts,” Quigley added, “and, for nearly two decades, public educators across Illinois have been dependent on property taxpayers to supplement their operating budgets via referendum because legislators never envisioned CPI ever dropping below 3% let alone flat-lining at 0%”
The Board previously discussed the referendum at its regular monthly meetings on July 24, August 14 and September 11, while the Committee also discussed at its August 23 regular monthly meeting.
“The passage of this referendum is important for everyone in Elmhurst,” stated Board of Directors Chair Ken Bartels of Community Bank of Elmhurst and Ken Bartels Consulting. “Superior schools are vital to our overall community health and the Elmhurst Chamber is proud to provide its support.”
The referendum also features Future Ready Learning-driven improvements ($24.2M)—including for new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)-related programming—and the groundwork to provide All-Day Kindergarten in schools across the district.
District 205 has grown by 1,000 students since 2006 to some 8,500 students, with growth projected at 1.4% per year for the near future.
In 2019, $25 million in bonds will be sold to fund the projects at Edison and Bryan, while the new construction at Lincoln and Field will be part of $50M and then $93.5M in bonds, respectively, in 2021 and 2023.
The owner of an Elmhurst home with an assessed valuation of $500,000 is projected to pay an $150 annually more than the $800 per year currently paid on bonds to be retired or refinanced.
Celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2018, the Elmhurst Chamber is a voluntary organization of business and professional men and women who have joined together for the purpose of promoting the civic and commercial progress of the community.
The Chamber also serves the needs of its member through products, programs, services and events that provide opportunities for networking and referral, business education, development and promotion, governmental representation and community involvement.
The mission of the Chamber is to “promote and environment that creates success for local businesses and our community.”