Letters to the Editor: Residents Voice Opinions on District 113 Referendum

District 113 Superintendent encourages residents to vote

Tomorrow, Election Day, is a big day for this community. Much is at stake. The future of District 113 students will be defined by the outcome of two key election results: 1) the District 113 School Board election and 2) the 113 referendum proposal for capital improvement projects. 

Do not let our students’ fate be decided by others. Your vote is powerful. Your vote is needed. Make it a priority to get to the polls and vote. Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on April 5.

On behalf of our students, thank you for doing your homework to learn the facts. If you are a procrastinator, you can CRAM BEFORE THE “EXAM," by studying these websites and notes below to learn the facts:  

Referendum Proposal Long-Range Capital Improvement Plan:

Academic and Instructional—(approx. $82.4 million)
Technology and Infrastructure—(approx. $37.6 million)
Repairs and Maintenance—(approx. $6.2 million)
School Campus and Site—(approx. $5.6 million)

Continue to pay the same tax rate for bond and interest: 27 cents
Continue to pay $254.00 for bond and interest for a home valued at 300K

Thank you for voting on April 5. 

George V. Fornero
Superintendent of Schools

Voting "no" means time to reformulate a plan

What happens if you vote no on the District 113 referendum on April 5? A no vote simply means the next opportunity to vote on a bond referendum to fund upgrades to Deerfield High School and Highland Park High School will be the March 2012 presidential primary election. 

The time between the April 5^th election and the 2012 primary can be used to and separate the wants from the actual needs of each school. In addition, more in-depth analysis can be performed on alternative options to upgrade the schools at a more reasonable cost. For example, architects on of the current referendum agree on the need for a cost benefit analysis on keeping existing buildings before committing to tearing them down.

The current price tag of $133 million is a substantial amount for communities the size of Deerfield and Highland Park to fund. Taxpayers will be committed to paying principal and interest on those bonds for 20 years—longer if the bonds get refinanced down the road. Many area residents are currently coping with declining home values and other lingering economic issues from the 2008 economic meltdown. 

What Voting "no" does is provide an opportunity to get to work on a better, more affordable plan that can be presented to the public for a vote in March, 2012.

Peter Lucas

Referendum will make community more desirable

I am not certain where or how any proponent of the facilities and capital improvements plan gave the impression that this project could be done for free.  I have heard opponents suggest that those of us in favor of the plan and the referendum are being disingenuous or worse.  I can only conclude that character assassination is the last refuge of those who do not have facts on their side.  So let's talk facts.  Please note that I am doing so as a private citizen, not as a current member of the Board of Education. 

The clear fact is that this will cost $133.0 million plus interest -- it is not free!  In exchange for this money, we will have schools with up to date technology, classrooms that are more suitable to today's interactive teaching methods rather than lecture style and -- yes -- physical education and athletic facilities that meet the needs of today's wellness programs and athletic programs.  Infrastructure requirements, such as HVAC, plumbing and electricity will all be brought up to date.  Deferring these critical needs will not make them go away.  Ultimately,if the referendum is not passed, the school's operating funds will have to be diverted to these needs, the school district will have to operate at a deficit, or there will have to be another bond referendum in a few years -- likely at higher rates -- to fund these needs. 

Passing the referendum means that my tax bill for bond and interest payments will stay at approximately $500 per year (for a $600,000 market value home) for the next 20 years instead of increasing slightly next year and then declining to nearly zero.  I calculated the difference for me to be approximately $9,000 with a present value (at a 5 percent discount rate) of $5,300!  Just to be clear -- the message from proponents has been that passing this referendum means that there is no increase in our property tax rate; of course there is a net increase in our property taxes, as we are asked to pay at the same rate for an additional 18 years or so.

These are the facts.  Now that the facts are clear, it is reasonable for people to disagree about whether this fits with their vision of our community and whether these improvements to our schools will add to our property values or whether their property values will decline because a home owner did not receive a $500 reduction in their property tax bill (or whatever their particular figure might be given their current bond and interest assessment).  I believe the former - -that this project will make our schools and community more desirable as a place to raise a family and, therefore, will result in a benefit to me when I sell my home in the future. I support the plan and will vote in favor of the referendum.

District 113 School Board Member

Endorsement for referendum unconvincing

"Yes on 113 Referendum,"  a Pioneer Press editorial, was a disservice to the readers and the taxpayers of the community. It points out that the "$133 million price tag is a cause for concern," and finishes up defending it by telling the community that "by approving the referendum it would benefit students." I believe that I have a stronger argument for voting no on April 5th.

Voting yes on this referendum does not fully benefit students with the current plan. Almost half of this bond issue and resulting tax increase is for athletics. There has been very little, if any, discussion on how this referendum will prepare our students for the demanding challenges ahead in our global economy. For example, only $4 million has been allocated for technology.

I acknowledge and have said from the start that our schools need work, but the community deserves a better plan for a lot less money. One that was not rushed to an April 5th referendum instead of next March 12th where more time would have allowed for more thoughtful discussion about spending. The argument that interest rates are low and construction costs are also low do not justify the rush to spend money. The total cost of this referendum, if passed, will cost approximately $234,000,000 of principal and interest over the next twenty years. Vote "no" now so we can vote YES for a better plan next year for less dollars that will benefit both districts.

Sam Gess

Referendum will keep District 113 from falling behind

Teaching and learning environments do make a difference!  21st Century students living in a 21st Century world do need the tools to compete in that world.  There are alumni of the Kohl’s Children’s Museum who are now students in our District 113 high schools and will be in the future.  These children explored the world of imagination through the tools provided at the museum and now need today’s digitally driven tools to continue to explore the global world and become the great creators of tomorrow.

Highland Park and Deerfield and rest of the District 113 communities are first class places to live and the high schools are key to that.  We need to graduate kids who have the critical thinking skills and insights that have been nurtured and who can compete in the global workplace.  Safe and exciting environments are true keys to learning.  The latest research shows that environment and digital teaching tools provide the foundation for nurturing these minds.  We don’t want to slip behind.   

Knowing the importance of technology tools and environment in leveraging children’s imaginations the time and opportunity had come for us to provide a world class environment for the young children in our communities with our move to Glenview for the Kohl’s Children’s Museum.  So too, the time and opportunity is now for us to provide the needed up-to-date  environments and technology tools for our high school students to thrive and capture the imaginations for these 21st Century problem solvers of tomorrow.

Please join me in supporting the District 113 Referendum to bring up-to-date facilities and technology to the high schools in our community.  We need the high schools in District 113 to have the technology and environments that will create problem-solving citizens for the 21st Century.

Dolores KohlKohl’s Children’s Museum of Greater Chicago Found and President & CEO of the Delores Kohl Education Foundation