Officials in Indian Prairie School District 204 want the public to know: if the referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot passes, granting $420 million for safety, security and infrastructure upgrades, they are prepared to start quickly on the highest-priority projects.
Officials also made it clear during their most recent school board meeting: if voters reject the ballot measure, there will be tough choices ahead in the district of 26,000 students from parts of Naperville, Aurora, Bolingbrook, and Plainfield — including potential class size increases and program cuts.
“We continue to be optimistic about the chances of the referendum passing,” Chief School Business Official Matt Shipley said.
If the referendum passes
The referendum seeks authorization for the district to continue taxing at the same rate, instead of decreasing, when a loan to build Metea Valley High School is fully repaid by the end of 2026. Keeping the tax rate steady would generate roughly $25.5 million a year.
The district would use the money to fund what Shipley has described as “significant improvements that really impact all district facilities.” Planned projects include safety and security upgrades, such as secure vestibules and new exterior doors; infrastructure replacements, such as new roofing, flooring and asphalt; and learning environment enhancements. Changes to address differences among schools and to install more efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems also are on the list.
If voters OK the new money, the district plans to sell new bonds in four rounds, taking on a total of $420 million to be paid back over roughly 20 years. In the first round of bond sales — which could come as soon as December — the district hopes to borrow $14.5 million. Future issuances tentatively are scheduled for July 2025, July 2027 and October 2029.
School board member Justin Karubas said parity across facilities is an important aim of potential referendum-funded projects.
“Our community supports trying to make the educational experience as close as possible at each of our schools,” Karubas said.
The district’s oldest schools, including Waubonsie Valley High School and Gregory and Hill middle schools, need substantial upgrades to be on par, officials say.
“With the referendum passing, we could — with these funds — maintain, renovate and build upon our highest-quality facilities,” school board member Allison Fosdick said.
If the referendum fails
Without new money approved, the district’s capital projects fund is soon to run out, Shipley said. About $10 million remains, which Shipley said doesn’t cover the roughly $13 million the district must spend yearly to avoid falling behind on essential maintenance.
That’s why administrators laid out the types of cuts they would need to make if voters do not authorize new borrowing.
Shipley said administrators first would scale back improvements, using the master facilities plan to prioritize and decide what gets deferred. Next, the district could redirect a total of $40 million in reserves toward construction and renovations. But several school board members cautioned against allowing fund balances to dip too low.
“I do not want the board to go deep into our fund balances. We don’t have a particularly large fund balance where we’re sitting on a pile of money and not doing anything with it,” Karubas said. “It’s for a rainy day, and we have a history of needing it.”
The district also could pursue about $30 million in a different type of loan available to schools, called life safety bonds. But these moves would generate only about $70 million — far short of the $420 million needed to complete all planned projects. So cuts affecting the classroom would need to be considered to keep all facilities safe and operational, officials say.
“We would definitely have to make very hard choices if this referendum does not move forward,” school board President Laurie Donahue said.
Administrators likely would have to cut the full-time equivalent of 50 staff positions, Superintendent Adrian Talley said, possibly affecting the recently decreased class sizes at the kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade levels.
If the referendum fails, the tax rate would drop, and the average homeowner would save about $600 to $700 on their property tax bill. But school board member Mark Rising cautioned this decrease would be a one-time occurrence. He said he fears the consequences if the referendum is not successful.
“Having to raise class sizes and cut programs — our community will feel this,” Rising said. “I’m concerned for my neighbors, my family and our district if that’s the reality we may face.”
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