$1.5M For York Fields, But No Pressing Needs: Officials

ELMHURST, IL – Elmhurst School District 205 officials said in 2018 they would spend $1.5 million on York High School's athletic fields as part of the $168 million referendum.

Five years later, officials said they see no pressing need to spend the money.

Since the referendum's passage, the district has improved York's fields with other sources of income.

It also joined with the city to build a turf field in front of York, with the city installing underground water storage to solve neighborhood flooding problems.

On Wednesday, Todd Schmidt, the district's facilities director, told the school board's finance committee that the item for athletic fields was never specifically defined.

"That money is sitting out there," he said.

Board members had no specific ideas on what to do with the money.

"It sounds like there is nothing really pressing," member Jim Collins said. "I think we would be prudent to wait until something bubbled up – a need rather than going looking for a need that's not there."

Board President Athena Arvanitis agreed.

"I would hate to just create things we need to spend money," she said.

At a 2022 board meeting, Schmidt told the board the district had no details behind the line item for York athletic field improvements.

The district is nearly done with its referendum projects, with the largest ones being the replacement of Field and Lincoln elementary schools.

The video of the finance committee meeting is available on the League of Women Voters of Elmhurst's Facebook page.