VIDEO: Board Members Explain Why They’re Seeking $89 M Referendum for Improvements

The District 113 Board of Education unanimously voted to seek an $89 million referendum from the community to help finance significant facility improvements at Deerfield and Highland Park High Schools. District 113 residents will vote on the referendum item during the April 9, 2013 consolidated election.

Board members explained their rationale for voting to place the referendum on the ballot at their Jan. 14 Board of Education Meeting. You can watch excerpts of their statements by clicking here.

The $89 million referendum will finance projects identified as top priorities by study groups, architectural experts, and the Master Plan Steering Committee. The Steering Committee was made up of community members with substantial architecture, construction, and finance experience. They oversaw the architect’s entire design phase providing feedback along the way.
 
The Steering Committee proposed projects estimated to cost $120.4 M. They tasked the District architecture firm Perkins + Will and the construction management firm Gilbane to reduce that cost through value engineering by approximately 5 percent totaling $6.4 M, which would lower the overall cost to $114 M.

The projects proposed include: $47.8 M in infrastructure work at DHS and HPHS (mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, electrical, lighting, technology, security, windows, ADA); $26.1 M for repurposing the 100 year old B building at HPHS
and reconstructing the 100 year old C and C Annex buildings at HPHS; $19.6 M for new pools at DHS and HPHS; $21.2 M for new multi-purpose gyms at DHS and HPHS; $3.8 M for renovation of the library and media center at DHS; $1.9 M for security enhancements at DHS and HPHS and ADA adaption of PE at DHS.

The Board has decided to commit $25 M from its current budgets to help finance these projects in addition to the $89 M referendum.

For more information on the referendum and it's projects head to District 113's website.