High School District 214 says no proposals are on the table at this point, but they are in the process of gathering public feedback on major updates.
District 214 Superintendent Scott Rowe showed off the basement at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect Tuesday, saying it still has the original boiler from when the building was built in 1957.
It's one of six high schools and seven district buildings that the district says need major updates.
"Our teams do such a great job of keeping our facilities looking fresh, looking new. But when you get behind the walls, that's where our attention needs to be right now because the infrastructure is old," Rowe said.
Rowe says a comprehensive facility assessment conducted through external experts identified $850 million in improvements, many of which are necessary to keep students and staff safe and comfortable.
"There are 10 separate categories that chunk some of the big projects that we're after, from HVAC infrastructure, to ceilings and walls, to roof replacement, to classroom refreshes, all of the different opportunities that exist within this assessment to renew our schools," Rowe said.
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Aside from the 10 different categories of suggested projects, the district is breaking out three different potential funding levels.
The highest, approximately $800 million, would be an annual increase of $421 in taxes a year for property owners based on a $400,000 home.
Jeffrey Martin has lived in Arlington Heights for more than 40 years.
"Timing is really a huge issue here. We just got done with real estate assessments. We don't know yet what effect they're going to have on our taxes. Combine that with the uncertainty about the Bears coming in and what effect that's going to have on our property taxes, it's just a lot for people in this community to be able to afford," Martin said.
Rowe admits the numbers are a big ask. But, he says, that's why they're engaging the community with the process.
"We're in the education of our community phase and listening to their feedback phase. We have not made a determination of if we're going to seek a referendum and if so, how much," Rowe said.
District 214 has three upcoming info sessions: two virtual ones on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3 and an in-person session at the Rolling Meadows High School theater at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3.
Visit www.d214.org for more information.