Troy 30-C School District Bond Referendum Election Results: Is This Really How The Property Owners Voted?

JOLIET, IL — School superintendent Paul Schrik's efforts to win voter support for a limiting rate referendum on the Nov. 3 election ballot appears to have been met by defeat by the voters of Troy 30-C School District consisting of Joliet, Shorewood and Plainfield property owners.

According to the Will County Clerk's election website, there were 5,915 yes votes in favor of Troy's bond referendum, which was 45.7 percent, while the opposition was much larger, 7,030 votes, which was 54.3 percent. A total of 12,945 votes were cast.

Election results are unofficial until certified by election authorities.

According to the school district website, Troy 30‑C placed a limiting rate referendum on the November election ballot to address operating and facility needs; 20 years have passed since the District sought voter‑approved funding.

The Troy schools administration explained that the 45-cent limiting rate referendum was 35 percent lower than what was originally planned after receiving community input, effectively resulting in no net tax rate increase, if approved by voters. Troy contends that most of the district’s schools exceed their intended student capacity and that enrollment is projected to exceed 4,000 students within four years, largely driven by new housing developments that will further increase overcrowding.

If approved by voters, the limiting rate referendum could allow the district to prevent cuts to present teacher and educational support staffing levels, maintain academic and extracurricular programs, maintain class sizes and address facility improvements for safety and security reasons.

"The revised plan, after receiving community feedback, no longer includes building a new early childhood education center or renovations to the middle school," Troy school officials shared on their district's website.

According to a sample election ballot, this was how the referendum question read on the ballot:

Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for Troy Community Consolidated School District Number 30-C, Will County, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.4500% above the limiting rate for levy year 2025 for the purpose of providing educational programming and instruction, operating, maintaining, constructing and improving school buildings and facilities and constructing school safety and security improvements and for other school purposes, and be equal to 3.6241% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2026?