News

For more information:

Dr. Nancy Wagner • Superintendent

River Trails School District 26

(847) 297-4120

nwagner@rtsd26.org

River Trails Referendum Will Fund Renovations, Maintain Class Size

Mt. Prospect, IL (1/24/19) – Faced with a significantly growing student enrollment that is increasing class sizes, the River Trails School District 26 Board of Education, unanimously voted to place a $19 million referendum on the April 2 ballot to renovate and add to Park View Elementary School.

If approved by voters the proposal will provide funding for renovations at Park View to support all kindergarten and preschool students. By combining the district’s youngest learners in one school, it opens other classrooms at Euclid and Indian Grove schools to accommodate growing enrollments for Grades 1-5.

“River Trails is facing an enrollment crisis,” said Superintendent Dr. Nancy Wagner. “Enrollment has steadily increased more the 12 percent since 2012 and is expected to increase almost 18 percent more by 2027. We need space for students.”

The April 2 ballot proposal is the result of District parents, residents, and employees who participated in a community engagement project called Future Trails. For over a year the group met to discuss options for improving school facilities, optimizing learning environments for students, and addressing enrollment increases. Recommendations from this extensive process indicated a desire to maintain current class sizes, consider the financial impact on the homeowners, and maintain a quality school system for students.

“Future Trails participants said they did not want increased class sizes or mobile classrooms,” Wagner said. “This left us with the option of building more space for learning.”

Wagner says the original recommendation from the Future Trails community group was a $32 million referendum, but the Board of Education believed it was essential to scale this back to address only the essential learning space needs to solve the enrollment issues.

The remodeled Park View will have classroom space, a gymnasium/lunchroom, a library, an office and room for art/music in addition to an outdoor playground and play space. The building will have a secure entrance and the same safety measures as in other River Trails schools.

More information on the River Trails referendum can be found at www.rtsd26.org

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