Would You Support a Revised D65 Referendum?

A school board member proposed a $20 million bond issuance referendum.

At Monday night's board meeting, District 65 School Board member Andrew Pigozzi had suggested that the district might address capacity problems through a $20 million bond issuance referendum that would likely appear on the ballot during November’s presidential election. The revised approach would fund additions to Haven and Nichols middle schools. Funding for the middle school additions was included in the district’s recently-failed $48-million referendum, but without $21 million toward the construction of a new 5th Ward school or $8 million for repairs to three other schools, the newly-proposed referendum would clock in at less than half the price. Get top Evanston headlines delivered to your inbox each morning by signing up for our free …

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Capacity Issues to be Discussed at Monday's D65 School Board Meeting

The board must balance spending concerns with current class-size guidelines.

The sole agenda of Monday night’s District 65 School Board meeting will be to tackle the imminent issues surrounding classroom capacity needs arising throughout the district. Billed as a preliminary discussion, the meeting will serve to rehash old ideas and information presented when the district was planning for its recently-failed bond issuance referendum, but will also act as a platform for board members to propose new approaches to solving capacity problems. The Problem Based on D65’s five-year enrollment projections -- created in early November to plan for future staffing requirements, space usage, transportation needs and other planning purposes -- the district grew by over 200 students this past year, will expand by another 100-plus…

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mij

11:25 am on Friday, October 5, 2012

You have to remember this same school board couldn't decide if it had a 4 million dollar deficit or a 1 million surplus just a few short monts ago   more ›

Defeated Referendum, Capacity Issues a Focus at D65 Board Meeting

Many were still upset the referendum to fund a new school did not pass in last week's vote.

Between pressing issues of insufficient classroom space and fallout from a defeated referendum, the District 65 School Board has its eyes on both the immediate future and recent past. In the first school board meeting since the board’s $48.2 million bond issuance referendum failed, taking down with it some residents’ hopes for a new 5th Ward school, passionate and sometimes contentious conversation concerning the March 20 vote bookended Monday night's session, held at the Joseph E. Hill Education Center. Get top Evanston headlines every morning by signing up for our free newsletter. Both citizens and board members took time to speak candidly about the vote, the referendum campaign and the proposed 5th Ward school. But while some were eager…

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Jeff

2:04 pm on Sunday, April 1, 2012

Sally, how do you know what I can and cannot afford? I live in the 7th ward and my property taxes have increased by over $2k in the 2 years since we moved there. Please don't tell me what I can afford. We don't have the money. Thanks.   more ›

Patch Readers Still Debating 5th Ward School

The story has gotten 38 comments as of Saturday. What do you think?

D65 Referendum Precinct Vote Breakdown Shows Split Across Wards

The failed referendum carried in some wards but not in others.

Precinct election results released Wednesday by the Cook County Clerk’s Office revealed that the rift over District 65’s recently-failed bond issuance referendum tended to follow ward boundary lines. The controversial referendum, which asked voters to approve a $48.2-million bond issuance to fund a new 5th Ward school  ($20.6 million) and pay for various improvements to other Evanston school buildings ($27.6 million), was opposed by a 55 of voters in Tuesday’s primary election. Still, the referendum found majority approval in three Evanston wards. As one might expect, the ballot item carried most favor among voters in the city’s 5th Ward, where 67.3 percent of Tuesday's voters supported the referendum. In both the 2nd and 8th Wards, nearly…

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March 20 Election Results Round-Up

The D65 referendum failed, but voters backed township dissolution, electrical aggregation and Jan Schakowsky.

Last night, Evanston Patch kept you informed with up-to-the-minute results from the city's most important races. Here is a rundown of the final results. District 65 Bond Issuance Referendum The only Evanston referendum to fail Tuesday was also the closest race. 54.7 percent voted in opposition to District 65 issuing more than $48 million worth of bonds to finance the construction of a new 5th Ward elementary school, as well as repair and make additions to existing district schools. Some opponents of the referendum decried the proposed issuance as financially irresponsible and burdensome for both District 65 and Evanston residents, while supporters envisioned the 5th Ward school as a community-resurrecting catalyst for the surrounding …

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Patch’s Election Day Roundup

Everything you need to know about today’s elections.

Where can I vote? Evanston has 38 polling places. Find the one nearest you by entering your address on the Cook County Clerk’s website. The website can also provide you with a sample ballot to inform you of races and referendums on the ballot in your district. What time to the polls open? All polling places are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., but anyone in line when the polls close is allowed to vote. According to a press release from the Cook County Clerk’s office, polling places are least crowded from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. What is on Tuesday’s ballot? The three referendums on Evanstonians’ ballots are perhaps most notable. What about races for public office? How can I follow the results? Unofficial results will be posted online here. Official …

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About Town

Four Perspectives on the District 65 New School Referendum

Residents will vote on the issue March 20. What's your opinion on the topic?

I’m trying to wrap my head around the Better Schools Initiative referendum proposed by District 65 — but it hasn’t been easy. Since I haven’t yet formed my own opinion, I’m sharing a few opinions I’ve collected from various community members. These opinions are by no means all encompassing. They’re just to get the conversation going so Evanston residents can decide for themselves how they’ll vote on March 20. Related: New school would create 'blank slate' for 21st century learning. Click through the links below to read the four statements. I can’t wait to read your comments...

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Proposed School Would Provide Blank Slate for '21st Century' Learning

Proposed features for the possible new D65 building include bigger, more modern classrooms, more natural light and a green roof.

In the almost half century since District 65 last built an elementary school, the methods and mediums of education have changed dramatically. If voters approve the proposed new 5th Ward school, the district will have a blank slate to create a modern school from scratch. A referendum on the upcoming March 20 ballot will ask Evanstonians to approve the district’s proposed $48.2 million bond offering that would finance the new K-5 school, as well as fund additions and renovations to other district school buildings. Pat Markham, director of communications for District 65, said that the district’s recently-released architectural renderings of the proposed school showcased viable ways to make the new building both environmentally friendly and a…

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Lisa G.

10:03 am on Friday, April 13, 2012

I guess the majority of folks in the 5th ward had no opinion on this, since they had the lowest turnout of any ward in the city.   more ›