Glenbard District 87 Referendum Question: Election 2024

GLEN ELLYN, IL — Residents are poised to weigh in on a $183 million bond referendum question presented by Glenbard District 87 on the March 19 ballot.

In late 2023, the District 87 board of education unanimously voted to present the bond referendum question on the ballot for the 2024 general primary election. The question appears as follows:

Shall the Board of Education of Glenbard Township High School District Number 87, DuPage County, Illinois, install safety and security improvements, increase accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act, repair and replace mechanical systems, roofs and other infrastructure, improve energy efficiency and technology infrastructure, renovate classrooms, science labs, vocational labs and learning spaces and undertake other building and site improvements to, and purchase equipment for, each of the School District’s four high schools – Glenbard East, Glenbard North, Glenbard South and Glenbard West – and issue its bonds to the amount of $183,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

The district is seeking the funds to facilitate "accessible and versatile learning spaces," Superintendent David Larson said in a statement in December 2023.

The bonds would be used to fund repairs and upgrades to Glenbard East, West, North and South High Schools.

The oldest of these schools, Glenbard West, was built in 1923. Glenbard South, the district's most recent high school, was built in 1972.

The proposed work aligns with District 87's 10-year facility master plan, which allots $312 million for upgrades and improvements to the high schools. To help fund this, the district plans to tap into $129 million of operating revenue over a period of 10 years.

The following are priorities outlined in the master plan:

• Cafeteria improvements
• Classroom improvements
• Security system and safety upgrades
• Science lab upgrades
• Upgrades to electrical and plumbing systems, roofing and other building infrastructure

The remaining $183 million would be funded by taxpayers if the bond referendum moves forward. Homeowners can click the link to see how the proposed bond referendum would impact their property taxes.