D308 Referendum Seeks $317M For District-Wide Building Upgrades

OSWEGO, IL — Oswego Community Unit School District 308 is looking to obtain $317 million through a referendum on the Nov. 3 general election ballot to fund building upgrades.

The referendum is structured to lower the district's homeowner tax rate, officials said. Since the district is retiring existing long-term debt, homeowners within the district would see a decrease in their property taxes, even if the referendum is approved, according to a report from Shaw Local.

The school board voted Aug. 10 to put the referendum on the ballot.

A recent districtwide facility assessment found many of the district's 22 buildings in fair or poor condition. Many systems, including roofing and HVAC units, haven't been replaced since schools were originally constructed 20 to 25 years ago, according to Chief Communications Officer Theresa Komitas.

Over the weekend, the hot water heater at Plank Junior High School experienced a "catastrophic failure" that resulted in a substantial water leak, Patch reported. The unit broke 24 years into the 25 years of service expectancy, the district said.

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To discuss the referendum and building needs, the district will host an informational meeting from 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Oswego Public Library, 32 W. Jefferson St.

District leaders will discuss how the funding will work and what it can and cannot be used for at the meeting. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions directly to finance, operations and communications staff.

The Sept. 21 meeting is one of several the district is hosting at homeowner associations, community organizations and public venues ahead of the November referendum vote.