District 86 Approves $139.8 Million Referendum

HINSDALE, IL — UPDATE: At a special board meeting held on Saturday, Jan. 12, the board of education approved a $139,815,983 referendum. The district said the $10 million increase reflects an increase for $5 million each for Hinsdale Central and South.

Orginally, the board approved a $129.9 million referendum at its Jan. 7 meeting.

According to the district, the $5 million at Central will move the pool to a new location but keep the size the same at six lanes wide and 25 yards long. The new pool at South will also be a 6-lane, 25-yard pool. The current location of the Central pool does not allow for expansion in either direction. The current location of the South pool does allow for expansion in length.

The district said the $5 million at South would fund renovations to the South auditorium space, adding new lighting and sound systems, among other improvements like an orchestra pit and sound booth.

District 86 has approved the referendum to go on the ballot in April.

The question District 86 voters will see on the ballot is:

"Shall the Board of Education of Hinsdale Township High School District Number 86, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, improve the sites of, renovate, alter, repair and equip and replace portions of the Hinsdale South High School Campus and Hinsdale Central High School Campus, proportionally allocating the cost of improvements on a per-student basis, including, but not limited to, installing school safety and emergency response systems and equipment; making facilities Americans with Disabilities Act accessible to persons with disabilities; repairing 60-year old infrastructure; and improving the electrical capacity and lighting in older classrooms, and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $129,999,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof? "

The April referendum comes after a $166 million referendum was turned down by voters in November. The board of education has also already voted for the elimination of several sports and activities at both high schools to address the budget shortfall.

If the bond measure is approved, there are several projects involving both high schools pools, security, classroom renovation and more that would be completed. According to the project list on the district website, $79,981,242 would go toward Hinsdale Central projects and $59,834,741 would go toward Hinsdale South projects.

Some projects would include: replacing the intercom system at both high schools; improved security at entrances and doors for both schools; renovating the pools at both schools; the addition of a girls locker room at Central; renovation of the libraries at both schools; replacing the hot water system at South; and replacing the artifical turf fields at both schools. For a full list of the projects and their costs, you can visit the district website.

The election will be held April 2.

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