January 8, 2026

The Administration developed and presented an extensive study of Sustainable Financing in District 23. In the first of three presentations, we start with Finance Foundation to build a common understanding, review historical Expenditures & Revenues, and share Fund Balance History & Influences. Click HERE to view this presentation.

February 12, 2026

At our February meeting, updates were provided on the MacArthur and Eisenhower Projects including the awarding of certain contracts, an overview of District managed components, and a review of the timeline for public bidding.

Click HERE to view the presentation.

In the second part of the Sustainable Financing Presentations, we focus on updating our budget assumptions to better match increasing cost trends, review the impact of adding Full Day Kindergarten programming, and establish our new baseline.

Click HERE to view this presentation.

March 3, 2026 - Finance Committee

In this working committee meeting, options for add alternates were reviewed and prioritized. Following the opening of public bid packets, the Board discussion provided direction to Administration as to which elements to award and to whom.

Click HERE to view this presentation.

March 12, 2026

At the March Board meeting, the presentation reviewed Add Alternate options, MacArthur project components, District managed components, and long term needs. The Board awarded contracts for the Eisenhower project and approved District Managed contracts.

Click HERE to view this presentation.

May 14, 2026

In the third part of the third part of the Sustainable Financing presentation, the Administration provided an overview of Budget forecasting, a review of different Budget Scenarios, and Funding Strategies to meet the various needs and expectations.

Click HERE to view this presentation.

June 11, 2026

December 19, 2025

MacArthur Windows, Siding, and Doors Project Awarded

At the Board of Education meeting on December 18, the Job Order Contract for the MacArthur Windows, Siding, and Doors project was awarded to FH Paschen. After a series of additional reductions to meet budget, the final cost of the project is anticipated to be $2,565,500.

This project is scheduled to begin this Spring and be completed before the start of teh school year in August. The work will entail repair or replacement of all windows, doors, and siding at MacArthur, matching the style and color scheme used at Ross, Sullivan, and Grodsky. These enhancements will improve the security and integrity of the building "envelope", energy efficiency, and provide a much needed facelift to the building exterior.

Planning and Construction Design work continues for the Eisenhower Addition, reaching the 95% mark. This keeps us on track for a Feburary bid release and awarding timeline. Refinement of the scope and project components are necessary to stay within our budget guidelines. An overview of these reductions or eliminations was included in the presentation.

We invite you to view that presentation HERE.

October 9, 2025

With Financing Secured, District 23 Moves Forward with Facility Plans

Since July, the District has been engaged in the process of refinancing its debt to provide a NO TAX INCREASE funding mechanism to address facility needs. Please see the presentation and text in the July 7 update below.

As of October 3rd, we have closed on all transactions and now have $16.5 million available for our prioritized capital projects. Working with our ARCON, our architect partners, a presentation was made at the Board Meeting to provide a summary of the steps that led us to this point and a look ahead at the timelines and projects starting this Summer.

We invite you to view that presentation HERE.

First up will be the replacement of doors, windows, and siding at MacArthur. Initially investigated in 2021, this project has been deferred due to lack of funding. This second phase of the project completes the vision started with the replacement of doors, windows, and siding at Betsy Ross, Anne Sullivan, and the Grodsky Administration building in the summer of 2024.

The District has entered into a competitively bid Job Order Contract with FH Paschen to bring the design work to completion and present a formal contract for approval at our December Board meeting. With work starting this coming Spring, we anticipate MacArthur opening on time next August with these critical facility enhancements.

Next, we anticipate bringing the design work for the Eisenhower addition to completion by January and soliciting competitive bids in January/February. This should enable construction to start at Eisenhower this summer, continue through next school year, and be completed and ready to open in August 2027 with FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN.

The Board and Administration are committed to continuing our investigation and planning for sustainable financing, limiting operational impacts, and meeting the needs of our students, staff, and community. While we are excited about providing Full-Day Kindergarten and the safety improvements, we know there is more work to be done as we communicate these plans and support sustainable operations.

July 7, 2025

D23 Board of Education Votes to Approve NO TAX INCREASE Funding plan to provide FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN by August 2027.

After months of continued investigation following the failed referendum efforts, the Board of Education voted to move forward with a plan that would provide funding to design and build a smaller addition at Eisenhower and provide Full-Day Kindergarten by August 2027, which meets the State mandate. The NO TAX IMPACT solution provides $16.5M to address critical construction needs at Eisenhower, MacArthur, and across the District by refinancing our current debt.

CLICK HERE to view the presentation.

As with a home equity loan for which you might borrow against the value of your home, the District will borrow funds, paying off our existing debt and extending payments for $16.5M for 30 years. This will provide the necessary funding to:

Build a 4- or 5-classroom addition at Eisenhower, making space for Full-Day Kindergarten.
Replace and expand the current East parking lot at Eisenhower, providing a safe, dedicated space for student drop-off and pick-up.
Replace the deteriorated windows, siding, and doors at MacArthur Middle School.
Provide funds to address other limited, prioritized capital projects such as restroom renovations, paving, flooring, or roofing.

Because these funds are available under our existing tax cap, there will be NO TAX INCREASE for residents under this plan; however, there will be an impact to operations to fund the ongoing staffing, supply, and utility needs. Over the next two years, the Administration will work to develop and articulate the plan for reductions in staffing and/or programs to provide the needed operational funds.

While this solution is less than for which we had hoped and does not provide any space for expansion of services, it will meet the current need for classroom spaces for Full-Day Kindergarten, limited new office space for interventionists, the relocation of the main office, a smaller new multipurpose room, and renovations to the East parking lot.

June 2025

The Administration and Board of Education have continued to investigate options and solutions to address our current and future needs while being responsive to the three failed referendum efforts. A presentation was developed and shared at the May and June finance committee and Board meetings to provide insight into the benefits and drawbacks of a range of potential solutions.

Two Community Forums were held to share this information with residents. The slide deck from these meetings can be viewed by clicking THIS LINK.

April 2, 2025

Dear Prospect Heights School District 23 families and staff,

Thank you for speaking out and making your voices heard on the referendum. According to preliminary results, voters opposed the referendum by a 55% to 45% margin. We are still waiting for some provisional and mail-in ballots to be counted, but we don’t expect the outcome of the referendum to change.

We have heard you, and we will be re-engaging with you in the near future to develop a plan that meets the community’s approval while solving the district’s challenges. As you know, District 23 is challenged by the need to provide additional classrooms to fulfill the state’s full-day kindergarten mandate by 2027 and significant infrastructure and safety challenges at Eisenhower School.

As we have always done, we will continue to work together and support each other to deliver the highest quality education to our students despite the challenges we face. We look forward to continuing this discussion as we work together to solve our infrastructure and space challenges.

Sincerely,

Dr. Don Angelaccio

District 23 Superintendent of Schools