Minooka School District $50 Million Bond Election

MINOOKA, IL - In March, voters in the Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201 defeated a $90 million school bond measure. The measure had slim support from voters in Will and Kendall Counties, but lost because of strong opposition in Grundy County. On Nov. 6, voters in Minooka School District 201 will vote whether to approve another Minooka school bond. This time, it's for $50 million.

With the general election in two weeks, a grassroots community group called Minooka 201- Building for the Future Committee has been trying to alert residents across the district about the importance of voting on Nov. 6. The bond measure in March that was for $90 million was defeated by nearly 670 votes.

If the $50 million school bond measure does not pass on Nov. 6, the committee said the school district will face the following negative consequences:

• Staggered class schedules
• Lunch periods as early as 9:30 a.m. or as late as 2 p.m.
• Closing additional labs and fine arts spaces
• Detrimental class sizes

"Since the referendum failed in March, 11 teachers already share a classroom or teach off of a cart. Class sizes have increased and hallways are packed," Minooka 201- Building for the Future Committee explains.

If voters come together to support the $50 million bond initiative, a new school building for students in grades five, six, seven and eight would be built on Seil Road. If all goes as planned, the new school would open for students in the fall of 2020.

Supporters of the $50 million school building bond point out that student enrollment has increased by more than 13 percent since four years ago. At the moment, Minooka's Intermediate School and Minooka's Junior High School are both overcapacity, they said.

"We are out of gym space. The music room now functions as an additional gym space, causing music to be pushed into a regular classroom," the committee's literature notes.

The grassroots coalition has a website where voters can learn more about why the group believes the $50 million school bond project is necessary. You can visit the website here.

Important Meeting On Bond Vote: Minooka CCSD 201 will host another Referendum Information Meeting, at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1 at Minooka Intermediate School, 321 McEvilly Road.

The meeting will provide information and answer questions about the $50 million school bond project on the Nov. 6, ballot. All stakeholders are invited to come and learn about our proposed new school building, the school district's website indicates.

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