Schools

Get Caught Up on the District 113 Referendum

Learn about the $89 million referendum Highland Park's high school district will ask residents to vote on in April, then find out what Patch bloggers and commenters are saying about it.

The District 113 School Board voted unanimously last month to put an $89 million referendum on the April ballot to pay for five years' worth of projects for Highland Park and Deerfield high schools.

If you have your own thoughts to share, do so in the comments section. Or, better yet, sign up to be a Local Voices blogger to get your message out to our readers.

The plan is projected to cost $114 million. Of that total, $25 million will come from the district's reserve funds and the remaining $89 million will come from District 113 residents.

Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If the referendum passes, District 113 residents who own homes valued at $300,000 will pay $173 in taxes to the district in levy year 2013, a $47 increase from levy year 2012.

If the referendum fails, those same homeowners would only pay $15 in taxes to District 113 in 2014 because the District paid off a significant amount of its debt this year. The 10-year average price residents have paid to District 113 in taxes is $198 annually, according to District 113's financial advisor, Tammie Schallmo, with PMA Securities.

Find out what's happening in Highland Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Read what the proposal entails and how readers have been reacting to it below.

News

  • Debate Continues on D113's $89M Referendum
  • D113 Board Releases Video Explaining April Referendum
  • 113 Board Puts $89 Million Referendum on Ballot
  • Readers Sound Off on Possible 113 Referendum

Opinion

  • Is the District 113 Referendum Choice Clear?
  • Letter to the Editor: Concerns Raised Over 113 Referendum
  • Simply Uninformed or Intentionally Misleading? Get the facts on the 113 Referendum
  • Vote Yes On April 9th
  • History Repeats Itself in District 113

From District 113

  • VIDEO: Board Members Explain Why They’re Seeking $89 M Referendum for Improvements

Want to stay on top of the latest news on the referendum? Sign up for our free morning newsletter and like our Facebook page.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here