What is the referendum for? What is D112 Long Range Plan?

Lighthouse 112

North Shore School District 112 has faced aging facilities since its inception as a school district in 1993. Over the past several years, the Board has closed schools, reduced the number of employees, and focused on efficient operations while still keeping education as the #1 priority area. Surviving the recent worldwide global pandemic as well as the recent political upheavals nationally, regionally, and locally, the District keeps its eyes on addressing its present so that it may create its future for the 3900 students and the tens of thousands of residents impacted by its operations.

In this episode of Lighthouse 112, the focus is on the "why" and the "what" for the November 8 ballot - there is a referendum/ballot question for the voters to decide upon a request for $114,400,000 in bond authority to modernize, upgrade, and renovate five elementary schools and provide enhanced physical security for all campuses.

What is our Why?? Why ask the community for 100+MM?

District 112 born in 1993 with no debt service extension base

50 years of deferred maintenance

LONG time “kicking can down the road”

A major referendum in the late ’90s ---None since

New School is Oak Terrace, 25 years old - upkeep and investment are timely and NOT deferred

Northwood/Edgewood Phase 1 - brand new 2021/ 2023 with NO dedicated tax increase

12 schools to 10 schools - reduction in operating expenses and reduction in staff

NEED to upgrade and closeout deferred maintenance at SW, IT, RA, BR, WT - fix up aging schools, infrastructure, roofs, boilers, air conditioning, air quality/ventilation, windows, bricks, sidewalks, parking lots, we’ve turned over every rock (three cycles of physical and educational assessments).