Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / Oswego School District considering $317 million bond referendum in November

Transcript

Oswego School District considering $317 million bond referendum in November · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

• 0:05
  Speaker 1: As we Go School District considering three hundred seventeen million
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: dollars bond referendum in November. Written by Eric Shelkoff, This
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: article is being read by an automated voice brought to
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: you by Everlett we Go School District three hundred and
• 0:22
  Speaker 1: eight is looking at putting a three hundred seventeen million
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: dollars bond referendum on the November third general election ballot
• 0:29
  Speaker 1: to address aging infrastructure needs throughout the district. Over seventy
• 0:35
  Speaker 1: percent of our twenty two school buildings were constructed between
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: two thousand and one and two thousand and eight, The
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: district said on its website on May eighth. That means
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: critical systems like heating and cooling, roofing, plumbing, and electrical
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: are all reaching the end of their useful life. At
• 0:52
  Speaker 1: the same time, these are not cosmetic issues. The affect
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: the comfort, safety, and functionality of the spaces where you're
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: chill learn every day. The school district serves poras of Kendall,
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: will and Kane Counties. The referendum would fund facility improvements
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: at all of the district's schools. District officials said they
• 1:13
  Speaker 1: have identified about three hundred and seventeen million dollars in
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: facility needs over the next ten years across all the
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: district's schools. Of that seventy and fos percent is tied
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: to core infrastructure, and the remainder covers important safety and
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: security improvements such as secure entry, vestibules, updated fire protection systems, intercoms,
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: exterior lighting, and access controls. Officials said because the district
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: is retiring existing long term debt at the same time,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: homeowners would see a decrease in the debt service portion
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: of their property taxes even if the referendum is approved.
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: Officials said, for a home with a fair market value
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: of three hundred thousand dollars, they would play about one
• 1:55
  Speaker 1: hundred dollars less less per year starting in twenty twenty eight,
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: and in a dayditional fifty six dollars less beginning in
• 2:02
  Speaker 1: twenty thirty six. Last December, District three hundred and eight
• 2:07
  Speaker 1: board members approved a long range plan for the district,
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: broken down into three phases Facility condition Assessment, educational alignment,
• 2:15
  Speaker 1: and long range facility Planning. District three hundred and eight
• 2:19
  Speaker 1: officials said because of the population growth of the Oswego
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: area in the early two thousands, many of the district
• 2:25
  Speaker 1: schools were built around the same time and need updates
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: to HVAC units, roofs, and flooring. They stressed. The district
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: has not decided whether to place the referendum on the
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: November and is focused right now on making sure the
• 2:39
  Speaker 1: community is informed along with hearing from the community. No
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: decision has yet been made. Community town hall meetings are
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: scheduled from five point thirty to seven thirty pm May
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: eighteenth at Thompson Junior High School, four hundred and forty
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: Boulder Hill Pass, Oswego and from five thirty pm to
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: seven thirty pm June second at Boulder Hill Elementary School,
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: one sixty three Boulder Hill Pass, Montgomery. A survey will
• 3:04
  Speaker 1: also be distributed later this spring to seek feedback. More
• 3:08
  Speaker 1: information is available at SD three zero eight dot org
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: slash update three zero eight