CCSD 89 will host three public-engagement sessions where community members can share their thoughts on how to maintain healthy, safe, and accessible schools for students. The public-engagement sessions are open to anyone in the community. The sessions will be held:
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6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19, in the gym at Briar Glen Elementary School
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10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, January 22, in the gym at Arbor View Elementary School
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6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 27, will be an online-only meeting. A link for the meeting will be posted at www.ccsd89.org/CommunityMeeting
The presentation at each of the three sessions will be the same. The community will be able to provide feedback on how the district should prioritize buildings and grounds infrastructure needs at all five schools.
If you are unable to attend any of the three sessions, there will also be opportunities to provide feedback through online and phone surveys.
About the work
The CCSD 89 community has made an investment to ensure students can learn in buildings that are safe, healthy, and accessible. This has been done in a careful, conservative approach that has kept CCSD 89 per-student spending the lowest of the Glenbard feeder schools and fifth-lowest of all DuPage County elementary districts.
All five CCSD 89 schools are more than 50 years old. After five decades, even the most well-maintained buildings require long-term investment in the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps schools running: roofs, heating and air conditioning, lights, security systems, plumbing, technology systems, and more. These infrastructure projects are essential for healthy and energy-efficient buildings.
At this time, the district has a unique opportunity to preserve the community’s investment in CCSD 89 buildings while also accomplishing tax relief.
In 2020, the district made the final payment on a set of bonds initially issued in 2008. School districts issue bonds to pay for construction and maintenance projects. Bonds can only be used for “brick-and-mortar” projects in schools; they cannot be used to pay for staff or supplies.
This 2008 set of bonds were not renewed. On the April 2022 tax bills, the average CCSD 89 taxpayer will see a savings of $239 per year because those bonds were paid off on time.
The district has a second set of bonds; these bonds will expire in 2022. The district is seeking feedback from residents about the most fiscally responsible way to protect the community’s investment in CCSD 89 buildings while ensuring the schools remain healthy, safe, and accessible environments for every single student’s learning.
Community members will be able to provide input on how much of this second set of bonds to renew for the infrastructure projects. The district is only considering finance options that would further reduce the tax burden for the CCSD 89 community. Any tax reduction would be in addition to the savings from bonds that were paid off in 2020.
