Cook County Schools release $36 million bond referendum ballot information ahead of November

Cook County Schools has launched an updated facility planning website to inform district residents about a bond referendum on the November ballot. 

On Thursday, June 6, the Cook County ISD 166 School Board reviewed and unanimously approved a resolution to move forward with a $36.78 million three-question proposal for Cook County voters.

The referendum asks voters to consider three questions that, if approved, will authorize funding to improve safety, security, educational adequacy, and deferred maintenance at the district’s PreK-12 building. 

In recent months, the school district hired ICS, a project management firm, to conduct a complete facility and grounds assessment as the school undergoes a strategic planning process. Then, the school board approved hiring the architectural firm DSGW, a Minnesota-based company specializing in hand-crafting healthcare, education, commercial, and Indigenous architecture, to design and implement the identified needs.

The three questions included in the November bond referendum are:

• Question One requests $24 million for upgraded spaces at the district’s PreK-12 school building, including additional common/flex space, classroom renovations, an additional gymnasium, improved accessibility, building security, and the completion of deferred maintenance. 
• Question Two requests $9 million for improvements to the school’s grounds, athletics, and art spaces, including artificial turf for athletics fields, a running track, and updated theater equipment and seating.
• Question Three requests $3.5 million to add an additional gymnasium station to support physical education, athletics, and community recreation. 

Superintendent of Cook County Schools Chris Lindholm said question two is contingent upon question one passing. Question three is contingent upon both questions one and two passing. “So they’re contingent on each other,” Lindholm said. 

Lindholm said the potential $36 referendum will have tax impacts on Cook County residents and homeowners. “A common question I get in Cook County is, well, does everybody pay for a bond referendum?”

The answer, Lindholm said, is yes. 

“Every owner of a property in Cook County, including seasonal recreation, pays for that,” he said. 

Based on the approval of each referendum question, the tax impact will vary. The informational facility planning website VikingsVision.org includes a breakdown of potential property taxes based on the property’s value.

• The tax impact of Question One on an average residential home valued at $400,000 would be $18 per month.
• The tax impact of Question Two on an average residential home valued at $400,000 would be $8 per month.
• The tax impact of Question Three on an average residential home valued at $400,000 would be $3 per month.
• The combined tax impact of all three ballot questions on an average residential home valued at $400,000 would be $29 per month.

The VikingsVision website states the tax would expire after 20 years or when the bonds for the project have been paid, whichever happens sooner.

“Our goal is to be very transparent about what the plan is, but then also what the impact is, in the cost to the local property owner,” Lindholm said. “All that information is broken out in more detail on the website.”

In addition, the VikingsVision.org website includes details about the challenges each question seeks to address, how each question would support students, and how residents can vote. 

Lindholm said that if voters approve the referendum this November, the district will hold additional community/stakeholder work sessions to inform the final design of renovations and additions to the building and grounds. 

Residents with questions about the investment plan and referendum are encouraged to visit VikingsVision.org/connect or contact Superintendent Lindholm at clindholm@isd166.org.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Superintendent Chris Lindholm about the proposed bond referendum and the informational VikingsVision.org website. The audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins June 16, 2024