Barrington Community Unit School District 220 held the first in a series of public information sessions Saturday, aimed at giving stakeholders more information and answering questions about the $185 million the district is asking for on a referendum put on the ballot in the upcoming election.
Making all 12 school buildings in SD220 safe and secure is the foremost goal of the money, according to Superintendent Brian Harris. The money would come through issuing bonds.
School officials have said the bond issuance would be used to cover a number of improvements, including $87.5 million in proposed work at Barrington High School, $61.2 million for the district’s elementary schools and $36.5 million at its two middle schools..
Harris and three school board members told more than 100 people during an information session Saturday Feb. 23 at Barrington High School about the projects the money will fund and the impact the levy increase will have on their property tax bills.
Read more from the Barrington Courier-Review here.
Editorial note: The Observer will have more to report on the District 220 Referendum as well as our opinions on the matter before early voting begins on March 18.
Something is rotten in Denmark!
185 million for??? Safety for the schools? What, they are unsafe now? What the Hell does that mean? Who does Harris think he’s kidding?
We currently pay 19k per student per year. About the highest in the state and they can’t make that work?
Awful growth forecasting by Battle and boards over the past 16 years plus about twice the rate of inflation increases.
It’s a money grab to pay higher and higher salaries to teachers and administrators for less and less students.
Ben Dover taxpayer!
Due to prevailing wage, on average cost of construction to taxpayers for public sector improvements is roughly 2.5 times higher than the amount of money to construct the same improvements in the private sector.
If you want to make schools absolutely safe, post signs on school grounds that say, “Beware, we are armed and will defend our children against those who try to hurt them”.
Hire a percentage of teachers with a military or extensive fire arm background with conceal and carry permit prepared to use if necessary and pay them an additional bonus of $3,000 a year.
Problem solved, schools safer at a small fraction of the cost…. We leave our children defenseless in our schools surrounded by “no gun stickers” on the doors while our courthouses and airports are armed and ready to defend.
Wake Up People!
Barrington Hills Village has reduced their portion of your property tax levy by 24% since McLaughlin and Konicek Hannigan took office in 2013.
Where are the increases coming from?
Property Tax increases are due to poor fiscal oversight at District 220. 45% of teachers making over 90k. Highest in Illinois.
70% of your tax bill is for the schools.
Annual school district 220 3-5% increases are killing our pocket books and property values.
Stop the INSANITY. Vote against the 185 million 220 tax hike referendum. Your home will be worth less if the referendum passes. Vote NO!