There will be a second hearing on the proposed $14 million dollar bond for District 100 on August 24th at 7 p.m. at Heritage Middle School, 6850 31st St. The District 100 School Board will vote on the proposal on Sept. 28th. If approved the money will be used to build a preschool facility that will allow universal preschool for all 3 and 4 year olds in District 100.
Some residents express concern that after the initial money runs out, the district would not be able to afford to continue the operation of the program forcing the district to ask the tax payers for a tax increase and risking a rejection by tax payers after the fact. The situation begs the question, "Why not ask now?" Why would the district spend millions building a facility and program that may not be sustainable in years to come without additional yearly revenue? The cost to renovate The LaVergne Education Center is estimated to run about $8M, with preschool operating expenses at about $2M per year. Stan Fields, District 100 Superintendent, estimates they have the resources to run the preschool program for 4 to 5 years without referendum. Other residents are supportive given research that points to the long term benefits of preschool including higher test scores in later school years, especially for poor and minority students. This is an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children, and hoping that the community embraces the program enough to continue it through a later tax referendum is a chance some are willing to take.
Please plan to attend the hearing to learn more about this important issue facing our community. Questions can be submitted ahead of time to Superintendent Stan Fields at sfields@bsd100.org.
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