Prospect Heights Dist. 23 launching information campaign for $19.3 million referendum
Prospect Heights Elementary District 23 is conducting an informational campaign, including an open house on Thursday evening, as it seeks voter approval April 1 for a property tax hike.
The referendum seeks $19.3 million to meet the state’s mandate for full-day kindergarten and pay for safety and security improvements.
The request is $6.2 million less than last March’s $25.5 million measure that was defeated by a vote of 1,675 to 1,402. A similar measure failed in 2023.
Information about the latest referendum is available at the district’s website, d23.org, and an open house will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 6, at Eisenhower Elementary School, 1 N. Schoenbeck Road in Prospect Heights. A presentation and tours will be given at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. during parent-teacher conference night.
There also will be a virtual town hall via Zoom at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, for which participants can register at bit.ly/42wDJAR. Additional in-person town halls will be held at Eisenhower at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 19.
The district’s online information includes a tax-impact calculator to help homeowners determine how a successful referendum would affect their property tax bill. For the owner of an average-priced home valued at $350,000, the annual additional cost of the referendum would be $349.
Illinois is requiring school districts to offer full-day kindergarten by 2027.
District 23’s referendum aims to provide funding for six new classrooms and multipurpose instructional space at Eisenhower, hire the additional teachers and staff needed, address safety and security concerns, relieve overcrowding and make infrastructure repairs.
Superintendent Don Angelaccio said the revised referendum’s tax impact on homeowners is about 25% below what was asked for last year.
“If the referendum does not pass, we will be forced to reallocate existing resources, which will lead to larger class sizes and cuts to programs and services districtwide,” Angelaccio said in a statement. “This means the educational quality our community expects will be put at risk, and our kids will not have the same opportunities available to students in neighboring districts.”
District 23 is the only one of Northwest Suburban High School District 214’s elementary feeder districts that neither offers full-day kindergarten nor has approved a referendum to add it. Only 2% of districts throughout Illinois still lack the space or funding to meet the state’s deadline, officials said.
“We know that full-day kindergarten decreases the need for remedial and intervention services as children grow and improves their academic success throughout their lives,” Angelaccio added.