Evanston Township High School financial staff are initiating the process to issue $15 million in bonds this year, a plan that would help the district address violations cited on the school’s health life safety survey from 2023.
The total cost of cited violations is more than $60 million, and the $15 million would go toward addressing HVAC deficiencies in the school’s gym wing.
If approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and District 202 Board of Education, the issued bonds would cost district property owners with a home value of $500,000 between $39-$65 more annually, depending on the length of the payback period.
Timeline and process
ETHS Chief Financial Officer Kendra Williams introduced the bond plan to the District 202 Board of Education at its Jan 13 meeting on Monday night at the high school.
Previously, school districts were limited on the total they could issue in debt each year, capped at $2 million. With a $60 million price tag for safety violations, $20 million of which was just for the gym wing’s HVAC, that level of debt issuance was not cutting it, Williams said.
“It always kind of felt like our hands were tied,” she said.
This past summer, though, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law House Bill 4582, Public Act 103-0591, which exempts taxes levied to pay school fire prevention and safety bonds from Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.
So long as School Board President Pat-Savage Williams signs off on the bond proposal, it will be sent to the state board of education for review.
“I’m hearing that it’s taking a minimum of two months right now to get through that process,” Williams said. “We want to get in the queue, because districts are really trying to use this tool right now.”
If approved by state, the District 202 Board of Education will hold a public hearing as early as April of 2025 on the bond issuance.
The potential price paid out by Evanston homeowners varies, depending on how long the timeline is. For a payback period of 20 years, homeowners will ultimately pay more; although their yearly bill will be less.
In the case that the $15 million meets ISBE and District 202 approval, all of the funds must be used for the renovations within three years, according to Williams.
“Especially considering the fiscal crisis at District 65 and the concerns of taxes being raised there, I was really hesitant to be on board with this,” board member Elizabeth Rolewicz said. “I think with your clarity and explanations, as I sit here today, I feel a lot better about it and I support it, because I think it’s not going to get any cheaper if we wait.”
Health and safety concerns
Every 10 years, schools in Illinois are required to complete a health life safety survey of the building. ETHS has racked up a number of violations on the survey, but capital limitations have kept the district from addressing them, officials have said.
Updates to HVAC and roofing aren’t flashy items that excite donors, Williams said.
“I wish I could have a donor that is interested in HVAC, mechanical, electrical, asbestos, tuck pointing roofs, or windows,” she said. “But those really aren’t the appealing projects for our donor base at this time.”
The district has been able to address a number of the violations with existing funds, including the auditorium’s HVAC, five roof sections, windows in the east wing, numerous out-of-date lights and more.
No fines are associated with not meeting cited violations. Williams said that, and the lack of capital, left many of the violations unaddressed.
“The district is just unable to fund all capital needs. We have depreciation of approximately $4.5 million annually,” Williams said.
Ventilation in the gym wing has reached levels where on hot days at the beginning of the year the district had to disrupt instruction by relocating classes to cooler areas of the building.
“I think that when we look at what’s happening in the world and climate change, temperatures are only getting higher,” board member Leah Piekarz said, “and that’s potentially more missed class time or not being able to fully realize the PE wellness curriculum.”
District 202 may issue $15 million in bonds to address HVAC is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.