Frequently Asked Questions

How was this plan developed?

Following the narrow loss of a $25.5 million referendum in March 2024, Prospect Heights School District 23 continued discussions in the fall on how to comply with the State of Illinois’ unfunded mandate requiring all districts to offer full-day kindergarten by 2027.

The school board listened to community members who requested changes to make it more affordable and came back to the table with a scaled back plan to meet the state’s mandate. The revised plan reduced the number of projects, which lowered the referendum’s cost by $6.2 million and the average tax impact by 25%.

What is included in the plan?

This new, more affordable $19.3 million plan will appear on the April 1st ballot, with a reduced annual tax impact of $349 for the average home. If successful, the referendum would build a 21,050 square foot addition at Eisenhower School to:

●  Fulfill the State’s Mandate for Full-Day Kindergarten

●  Ensure Safe Schools for Our Kids

●  Provide Adequate Spaces for Instruction and Student Support

The referendum would allow the district to fulfill the state’s mandate requiring we offer full-day kindergarten by 2027 without needing to increase class sizes or cut programs. We would build six new classrooms and multipurpose space at Eisenhower School and hire the additional teachers and staff needed to provide full-day kindergarten. In addition to increasing academic and social-emotional learning for our early learners, this would potentially lead to childcare savings for families.

The referendum would further increase safety and security at Eisenhower. We would build a larger parking lot and improve traffic flow so parents can safely bring their littlest learners into school each day. We would relocate the main office to provide a centrally located, secure vestibule and entrance with clear sight lines for parents and visitors. And we would create a new, required FEMA shelter space to protect students in emergencies.

The referendum would also allow us to better provide individual support for every student who needs it. We would build 11 new dedicated student service offices at Eisenhower to alleviate overcrowding and create the instructional spaces teachers and other providers need to support students. We would add an occupational/physical therapy room and private restrooms in the nurse’s office. And we would renovate the library into a more collaborative and usable space.

What are the benefits to students and families?

Our kids deserve the same quality educational opportunities available to students in neighboring districts. The community’s plan for our schools would meet the state’s mandate and provide our littlest learners a more comprehensive kindergarten experience, which has proven to improve their academic success throughout their entire lives. It would increase safety and security for our teachers and students. It would ensure every student has the support they need. And it would maintain and even potentially increase home values for our residents.

Why is the referendum necessary?

At Prospect Heights School District 23, we engage ALL students in experiences that inspire EACH to grow as learners, individuals, and community members.

Because we’re a small district, we are able to build relationships between families, staff, and the community at large that make our schools feel like family. Through our innovative grade-level center approach, we are student-focused, ensuring every child gets the personal support they need to meet their full potential. As a result, all four of our schools are rated “Commendable,” our students’ readiness and proficiency rates are significantly above the state average, and we are among the top 25% of districts in the state for math and reading.

Now, the State of Illinois has created an unfunded mandate requiring school districts to implement full-day kindergarten by 2027, which puts the quality education our community expects at risk. We don’t currently have the space, staff, or funding to meet this unfunded mandate. Every feeder district to High School District 214 offers full-day kindergarten except us, and we are one of less than 2% of districts throughout Illinois that do not offer full-day kindergarten. We know there are about 150 students in the community who desire full-day kindergarten and early learning opportunities that we can’t provide right now. We must meet this mandate, because our families deserve the same opportunities as those in neighboring districts.

In addition, we have identified several safety and security concerns that we must address at Eisenhower School. The building needs a more secure entrance. We have run out of space at the school and are over capacity. Reading specialists, occupational therapists, and other service providers are crammed into shared spaces, forcing vulnerable students to receive support in hallways and the corner of the library with no privacy. The nurse’s office doesn’t even have a bathroom. And the parking lot is too small for the number of parents who drop off their kids, creating safety hazards and backing traffic up onto Camp McDonald Road.

Without additional funding, meeting the state’s mandate will require the district to reallocate existing resources, leading to increased class sizes and cuts to programs and services districtwide. For a community that takes so much pride in our high-quality education, this is not the future we want for our kids. Especially since it would also likely hurt our property values as prospective home buyers begin to look elsewhere.

How will the referendum impact my taxes?

We are one of the most fiscally conservative districts in the region. Our tax rate is second lowest among all our neighboring districts, we always operate with a balanced budget, and we deliberately maintain the lowest fund balance in the region—we see that as good stewardship of our community’s tax dollars. We haven’t passed a referendum since 1987, despite receiving limited funding from federal and state sources. As a result, our funding levels are among the lowest in the region, but we make do with what we have, actively maintaining our facilities while focusing every possible dollar into classrooms to benefit students.

If the referendum is successful, the average $350,000 home in District 23 would see an increase of $349 per year in property taxes. Please utilize our tax calculator LINKED HERE to determine your tax impact.

What will we see on the ballot?

To achieve the improvements desired by our community, the Prospect Heights School District 23 Board of Education voted unanimously to place the following referendum question on the ballot in the upcoming April 1st consolidated election:

“Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for Prospect Heights School District Number 23, Cook County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.365% above the limiting rate for levy year 2023 for the purpose of altering, repairing and equipping school buildings and facilities, renovating Eisenhower Elementary School for full day kindergarten and for other school purposes and be equal to 3.547% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2025?”

Who can vote and where can I register to vote?

You can vote in the April 1st election if you are a U.S. citizen, you will be 18 years old by election day, and if you have been a resident of your precinct at least 30 days prior to election day. You must be a registered voter, and you may register to vote online through the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

What are the different ways to vote?

You can vote by mail. You may now request a vote-by-mail application HERE.

You can vote early. Early voting begins March 17 and runs through March 31 at various locations throughout Cook County. Click HERE for early voting locations.

You can vote in person on election day, April 1. Click HERE to find your polling place location.

How did the District afford the recent construction at Ross and Sullivan without the referendum passing?

The District maintains a 10 year facility plan that monitors and projects infrastructure needs for all of our buildings. Just like a homeowner, the District needs to maintain the roofs, plumbing, concrete, HVAC, electrical,  and other building elements. The windows, siding, and doors replacement projects at Ross, Sullivan, and MacArthur have been on the plan for many years and deferred until we were able to finance through existing borrowing capacity. In our original referendum proposal, we included the work at all three schools as part of the plan; following the loss, however, the District moved forward with a plan to complete the work in two phases over three years. The District issued available bonds to fund the approximately $2M project to prevent further water infiltration and damage to the windows and siding at Ross/Sullivan. The project at MacArthur was deferred again, but is in growing need of repair/replacement. With a successful referendum, we will be in a position to move forward with the repairs of windows, siding, and doors at MacArthur as well. 

Does District 23 receive any of the grant funds generated at Chicago Executive Airport? Why does Wheeling District 21 get them? 

The naming conventions of School Districts in Illinois can be very confusing and perhaps, misleading. Prospect Heights District 23 actually serves only the western half of the city of Prospect Heights, comprising about 33% of our students; another 33% are residents of Arlington Heights, 33% from Wheeling, and we serve a small neighbor hood in  Mount Prospect. The Chicago Executive Airport is within the boundaries of Wheeing District 21 so they receive the funding from that area and District 23 does not. Wheeling District 21 actually serves the other half of Prospect Heights, and residents of Wheeling, Arlington Heights, and Buffalo Grove.

Why is the District spending money on the project before the passage of a successful referendum?

The process of planning and executing a project of this scope requires years of advance work. Over the past 3-4 years, the District has been investigating and evaluating several potential options to best meet our needs and solve the issues that this mandate presents. One by one and for various reasons, we have eliminated other solutions and have selected the addition at Eisenhower as the one that best meets the long-term needs of the district. The need for full-day kindergarten has actually been a goal of the District since the early 2000s with our most recent efforts beginning in 2019. 

The District’s investment in early design work has proven beneficial by allowing us to identify site conditions that allow for elimination of larger “placeholder” amounts.  This preliminary work has been helpful in guiding our decisions and identifying a number of opportunities for cost savings. We are currently at 50% completion of the preliminary construction design work, and are in the process of bringing the plans to 75% completion at the time of the referendum in April. By continuing the design work, we are able to seamlessly flow directly into the bid process, immediately following a successful referendum. This investment will save the District approximately $200-$300K by avoiding "winter conditions" during the initial phases of construction.

Why does the District believe there are students in need of early childhood and kindergarten education?

The District tracks enrollment patterns and projects future enrollment based on actual live births in the area. Our 1st grade sections are consistently between 145-165 students, while our EC program serves only 80 special education and at-risk students and our Kindergarten about 100-120. We know and respect that families have choices for excellent education at private and parochial schools in the area but also know we have an obligation to be able to provide education to all of our residents. The  pattern of residents enrolling in first grade or later years helps us to identify the total number of potential students in our boundaries. We believe that many families will choose to enroll in District 23 when we are able to offer a full-day kindergarten experience. 

Can the District cut the Early Childhood program to make room for Full-Day Kindergarten?

The District provides early childhood services to students aged 3-5 with qualifying Special Education needs as required by State law and not optional. The District also serves a small group of "at-risk" students through a grant funded by the State of Illinois. Cutting these sections would not provide the needed space or funding to provide Full-day kindergarten. In addition, the early childhood program supports students with learning and developmental needs as early as possible, which helps students start their experience on the right foot. While two Eisenhower classes are not required, the District would not prioritize these essential services for cuts if required. Other programs and services across the District would be more likely to be reduced or cut if referendum is not successful.

Will the District charge tuition for Full-Day Kindergarten?

While no formal decision has yet been made, the District would likely charge a Registration Fee as we do for all other grade levels based on the curriculum, technology, and program needs of Kindergarten. The current fee structure for our half-day program would be reviewed and updated fees would be presented in December/January of next school year.

What percentage of the cost of the referendum is strictly required for Full-Day Kindergarten vs. other needed improvements?

The primary factor that moved us toward a referendum was the need to provide Full-Day Kindergarten, but the total referendum ask does include funds to improve safety and provide adequate instructional spaces at Eisenhower. The Full-Day Kindergarten mandate requires the construction of a 6 classroom addition and a multi-purpose room, as well as the increased operational costs for teachers and related services. The parking lot, main office relocation, interventionists' offices, and library renovation are in addition to the Kindergarten needs.  Because the construction costs are not tied to the specific component, we are unable to give an exact allocation, but estimate about 80% of the total ask as associated with the Full-Day Kindergarten initiative.

How much of the capital investment is coming from the State vs. this tax rate increase?

Unfortunately, there have been no funds allocated by the State to address this mandate. While we do receive some State funding (approximately 8%), those are primarily grants that serve targeted populations. Our Evidenced Based Funding increases by about $35,000 each year, but is offset by reductions in other allocations. 90% of all revenue is received from our local tax dollars. 

One concern expressed by some is that tax increase does not have an end date.  For new, real expenses like teachers' salaries, this makes sense.  However, capital improvements should only need to be funded to their completion.  How does that square with creating a tax rate increase with no bound for future reduction?

The Bond repayment will be a 25 year window and the rate increase includes the operational costs. Our challenge in splitting the ask into two questions (one for bond and one for operations) was that they are both tied together and both are needed to implement successfully. We decided to ask one question that would increase the rate to cover both. 

In 25 years, the Board can determine that the funds are no longer needed and reduce the rate to reflect the drop off of the bonds. It is more likely, however, that in 25 years, there will be other capital and operational needs for the District. Knowing that we have not passed a referendum in District 23 since 1987, it is likely that this could be the only successful referendum for the next 35 years. While that may sound pessimistic, it may also be pragmatic. If we had a shorter repayment window 10-15 years, we would have considered splitting the question.