Elementary schoolers that utilize wheelchairs in D303 are being taught to “scooch” up stairs. There are bathrooms in D303 that perpetually reek of urine. North students are running through the hallways due to a lack of a fieldhouse. Around $65 a month per household could fix these issues, which is why we need to pass a referendum.

A referendum is an option that can be put on a ballot for the public to vote on. The current referendum the D303 Facilities Committee is trying to place on the ballot is one to fund fixing these issues, and more, throughout the D303 community. The projects would include:

• Roof Replacements
• Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing systems
• Safety, Alarms and Communication Systems
• Accessibility options at both Wild Rose and Davis Elementary
• Parking Lots (Both maintenance and additional lots)
• Bathroom improvements
• Middle school additions
• North Cafeteria expansion
• Career pathways expansion
• Elementary classroom additions
• Exterior improvements
• Fieldhouse for North
• Interior improvements
• Athletics and Playgrounds

Each year, D303 puts five million dollars into maintenance at the schools. However, five million cannot fix every issue, and those issues that are not addressed get added to deferred maintenance. Currently, D303 has $180 million worth of deferred maintenance. Each year, that number grows and facilities age. Referendums are not new; however, the last time one was passed in St. Charles was 2002. Less than a year ago, the Barrington school district passed a referendum.

The unpopular part of passing one is the fact that referendums raise property taxes. The committee estimates passing the referendum will raise property taxes $65 a month for 500k homes. However, that number will be less for the majority of St. Charles residents. According to the City of St. Charles website, 74.9% of homes are in the 100-499k range. This particular referendum would last for 30 years.

Tax raises are always unpopular, but considering the fact that for the majority of the city, less than $65 can improve the quality of education for the future generation, this should be a no-brainer.

Every year that a referendum is not passed, the cost gets bigger. What happens in five years when these facilities further deteriorate, and the additional taxes are now $120? It is not fair to continue to push this funding to the future.

When I was 5, my family moved into D303 so I could receive a better education. I have a family friend who moved into D303 as their child has different abilities, and they had heard the district had a good special education program. If you ask around, there are many people in our schools that moved here in order to receive quality education. D303 schools are known for empowering students, creating scholars, fostering spaces for students to belong and preparing students for the world. If our facilities are not upkept, we fail to keep those promises for the students, effectively disappointing the next generation. Students from our schools have gone on to play in the NFL, work alongside NASA and so much more. Shortchanging our students because of $65 is not fair.

Furthermore, the upkeep of our facilities is more important than ever. The Department of Education was disbanded and reorganized in 2025, which means there are no more federal grants for graduate school and even certain undergraduate programs. Community member and professor at Aurora University Linda Steinberg stresses that this makes the quality of K-12 education more crucial. She has seen first hand the impact of federal funding cuts.

“It’s going to be that much more important that we invest at the community levels in our middle schools and high schools and elementary schools so that our students can be better prepared to compete against other students in college,” said Steinberg. “[Federal grants are] just not going to be there.”