Construction of a new Lincoln Middle School is one of the goals of Mount Prospect School District 57 as it asks voters in November to borrow $85 million.
Daily Herald File Photo, 2014
Mount Prospect School District 57 is looking to the voters in November as it seeks $85 million to help fund all-day kindergarten, the construction of a new Lincoln Middle School and improvements throughout the district.
A ballot question asks permission to borrow $85 million. But officials also said they plan to use an additional $12 million in existing funds.
The potential cost to the taxpayer can be calculated by visiting the district’s website. But district officials said the affect could amount to an additional $714 per year on a home worth $375,000.
“Our children deserve the best possible start in their education. This plan ensures we can offer full-day kindergarten, improve learning environments, and increase safety in our schools,” District 57 Superintendent Mary Gorr said.
Starting Sept. 11, District 57 officials will host a series of Town Hall meetings, with the first scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Middle School, 700 W. Lincoln St., Mount Prospect, in the Busse Gym. For more information on the schedule, visit the district’s website.
District officials also plan to expand Westbrook School for Young Learners to meet the state’s full-day kindergarten mandate by 2027, at a cost of $19 million.
“Of the districts that feed into Prospect High School, we are the only school district that does not offer full-day kindergarten,” Gorr said.
Other plans for the money include replacing the 75-year-old Lincoln Middle School with a new facility.
The newest part of Lincoln was built 50 years ago, Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Jason Kaiz said.
Remaining projects on the table include additions and repairs to existing buildings and facilities; building space for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) labs and music and art programs; eliminating mobile classrooms; improving classrooms and student support spaces; improving school safety and security; installing updated fire protection systems; improving mechanical systems, roofs, bathrooms and elevators; increasing gymnasium space; and improving food service and multipurpose spaces,
The cost of rebuilding Lincoln plus other improvements will total $70 million, officials said.
District voters approved a tax hike in 2018. Those funds went to the address the district’s financial struggles and avoid programming and staffing cuts while tending to deferred maintenance. Gorr said the district’s last successful building referendum was in the 1990s to build Fairview Elementary School and Lions Park Elementary School.