Westmont District 201 has had two bites at the apple in seeking funds to renovate schools, but is hoping the third time is the charm.
Voters will be asked on April 7 to approve $19.7 million in bonds for work on Manning and Miller elementary schools and the junior and senior high schools. The previous amounts rejected by voters were $26 million in November and $24 million a year ago.
Superintendent Kevin Carey said after the November election, in which the proposal went down 56 precent to 44 percent, that officials hoped voters would feel more comfortable approving bonds to only be used for specified projects. The first try, rejected by a wider margin, 78 percent to 22 percent, was to increase the debt service extension base and he said some voters thought that would have been tantamount to giving the district a blank check.
“I think taxpayers felt that it (the previous referendum) was still a little high,” Carey said. “We reduced the scope of the projects a bit.”
If the measure is approved, the owner of a $250,000 house would pay about $266 more per year in property taxes for 20 years, according to district officials.
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The schools, which were built between 1930 and 1975, need classroom renovations and safety upgrades, say officials who have been planning the projects since 2007. Even with the lesser amount, Carey said the most important projects, which include improving safety and security and making the schools more accessible for the handicapped, can be completed.
The last time voters approved a tax rate increase for the district was 1986.