In order for community members to know about a referendum that will improve the school, the school board held a community meeting  Jan. 10 discussing the possible referendum.

The board will decide to approve placing the referendum on the ballot Tuesday.

The referendum is to modernize the learning environment and evolve the curriculum to meet the needs of students. If the board agrees to the referendum, community members will vote April 4.

“‘Where will we be in 10 years?’ Who knows? Ten years ago I did not think students will be going 1:1 with Chromebooks and now students have Chromebooks,” Superintendent Doug Domeracki said.

The referendum will have a projected cost of $37.5 million.

To replace the mechanical systems it will cost $20.5 million while renovating the existing spaces will cost $8.4 million. To increase the instructional space will be projected around $8.6 million.

Many of the proposed school renovations came from a survey the community took in December.

“From the survey, we were able to reach out to the community and see what they want to be done at the school. About ten percent of the community completed the survey,” Domeracki said.

The board is looking to renovate the pool, roof, library, cafeteria and the student service centers.

“We are one of the best city wifi centers in the city of West Chicago. We have a lot of aging infrastructure and mechanicals such as plumbing, heating and cooling systems, and windows that need repairs,” Board of Education president Gary Saake said.

Most infrastructures age after 20 years of usage.  One of the improvements the board wants to see is to reinstall the wooden floors which were built in 1928.

Bonds will be issued over a five-year period.

“We are not doing it all at once because it is too much money. For the exact time frames, it may change slightly and the projects may take more than a summer to change these,” Saake said.