Cook County Schools wants more community input regarding November 2025 referendum, survey closes April 24

The public has until Thursday, April 24, to provide input regarding a potential November 2025 bond referendum for ISD 166 school facilities and ground improvements.

Earlier in April, Cook County Schools ISD 166 launched a public survey to gauge interest in revisiting Questions Two and Three from the November 2024 referendum, which Cook County voters did not approve.

Since the survey was launched on April 10, Superintendent Chris Lindholm said the school has received 265 submissions. The survey respondents have been relatively even split between community members and school staff or parents.

School staff and parents previously participated in an internally shared school survey to gauge interest. Of the 213 staff and parent respondents, survey results showed that 70% of respondents voted yes to support a 2025 referendum to fund improvements for the school.

Lindholm said the school board “really wants to hear from the entire community in Cook County about whether or not to go after a bond referendum this coming November.”

The proposed 2025 November bond referendum includes a $7 million match from the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) contingent on Cook County Schools passing a November 2025 referendum.

The proposed facility and school improvements include items such as:

• Build an additional gymnasium
• Install a new outdoor running track 
• Install durable synthetic turf surface for soccer/softball/football
• Auditorium improvements such as LED lighting, equipment, and seating

The total school enrollment for pre-k through grade 12 for Cook County Schools has historically hovered around 450 students in recent decades, with 433 students enrolled in the 2021 school year and 475 enrolled in the 2024-25 school year. 

Although Cook County Schools is a relatively small school with approximately 450 enrolled students each school year and an annual average of 35 graduating students since 2019, Lindholm said the proposed facilities and ground improvements are warranted.

“In terms of track, we have over 80 kids out for track, and there’s no track or jumping facilities or anything for them,” he said.

“So I think most people in the track community would say we can overwhelmingly justify that,” Lindholm said. “We also have great participation in football and softball, and those are sports that would be on that artificial turf.”

Find the Cook County Schools – Vikings Vision 2025 Community Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/isd166survey. The survey will close on Thursday, April 24.

WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins spoke with Superintendent Chris Lindholm about the public survey and the April 17 school board meeting. The audio from the interview is below.

Kalli Hawkins April 23, 2025