District 58 Thanks Community Following Bond Referendum Question Vote

DOWNERS GROVE, IL — Downers Grove Grade School District 58 is thanking residents and preparing to take the next steps in its efforts to upgrade and repair its schools after the majority of voters answered "yes" to a $179 million bond referendum question on Tuesday's ballot.

According to the DuPage County Clerk's vote totals Wednesday, 15,892 voters answered "yes" and 7,780 voters answered "no" to the following question:

Shall the Board of Education of Downers Grove Grade School District Number 58, DuPage County, Illinois, alter, repair and equip existing school buildings, including improving safety and security, replacing roofs and plumbing, electrical and HVAC systems, updating classrooms, science labs and libraries, improving energy efficiency and increasing accessibility under the Americans with Disabilities Act, build and equip middle school building additions and improve school sites and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $179,000,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?

As of Wednesday afternoon, the clerk's office reported that more than 20,000 vote-by-mail ballots were still outstanding of the 82,738 that had been requested. The results are set to be certified on Nov. 29.

District 58 and its Board of Education will next finalize the issuance of the bond and collaborate with designers to solidify the project's concepts. As the initiative moves forward, the district plans to host more feedback sessions to get input from community members and offer updates.

In a statement Wednesday, District 58 Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell said,

"On behalf of District 58, I want to thank the families, staff, Board members and community members who participated in the five-year community engagement process leading up to this vote. While the community has discussed District 58’s facilities for decades, the current Strategic Plan, which began development in fall 2017, created a clear plan toward addressing our facility needs. For those community members who did not support the referendum, please know that we hear you and appreciate your voice. District 58 will continue to expend funds in a fiscally-responsible manner while respecting taxpayers. We are very grateful to our community for their continued support of our schools and for recognizing the needs across our facilities."